Sean “Diddy Combs”: A federal grand jury could soon hear the prosecutors

CNN
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Federal investigators are preparing to bring music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ accusers before a federal grand jury, two sources familiar with the investigation told CNN, suggesting the U.S. Justice Department may be seeking to indict Combs.

Potential witnesses have been informed by investigators that they could testify before a grand jury in New York City, a source said. Bringing individuals who have filed civil suits against Combs before a grand jury would represent a significant escalation in the government’s ongoing investigation into the producer and founder of Bad Boy Records.

Combs has been named in eight civil lawsuits since November – seven of which directly accused him of sexual assault. One of the eight lawsuits, filed by his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, was settled. In another lawsuit, his son Christian Combs was accused of sexual assault, and Sean Combs is accused of being an accessory to the crime.

A spokesman for the Homeland Security Investigations Agency (HSI) declined to comment on the existence of a grand jury, but noted that the investigation is still ongoing.

These potential witnesses have not yet been prepared to testify, both sources told CNN, cautioning that HSI investigators are still gathering evidence and interviewing potential sources of information as part of their federal investigation into Combs.

According to a source, investigators were very meticulous and took their time to ensure that any charges were “watertight.”

Grand juries, composed of ordinary citizens, are important tools of the prosecution service. They serve both an investigative function in authorizing the subpoena of documents and witnesses and a vote on whether to bring criminal charges against suspects. The use of a grand jury signals that a particular case has moved beyond the preliminary stage, in which investigators generally assess whether any alleged violations of law have been committed.

Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided in March. At the time, CNN reported that the rapper and entrepreneur was the target of a federal investigation by a Department of Homeland Security team that deals with human trafficking. The ongoing investigation also focused on sex trafficking, according to law enforcement sources.

Now, additional sources told CNN that the majority of plaintiffs who have filed civil lawsuits against Combs have been interviewed by federal investigators.

Combs has vehemently denied the claims in many civil lawsuits, but has not responded to all of the allegations. In December 2023, after four lawsuits were filed against him, Combs posted a blistering denial on his social media, writing that “heinous allegations” had been made by accusers “looking for a quick payday.” “Let me be very clear: I did not do any of the horrible things I am accused of.”

CNN reported in March, citing a law enforcement source, that the investigation stems from many of the allegations of sexual assault made in several civil lawsuits against Combs. CNN has learned that the scope of the investigation is much broader and focuses on sex trafficking, money laundering and illegal drugs.

In addition to human trafficking, HSI also investigates drug smuggling and other organized crime activities.

“It’s about much more than just these lawsuits,” said one of the sources familiar with the scope of the investigation.

Federal investigators are now “digging deeper” and some of the accusers have already been interviewed multiple times, one source said. A second source confirmed this current status of the investigation.

Prosecutors who have spoken with federal agents during the investigation are actively cooperating with investigators. Some have turned over evidence they believe could help the probe, a source said. Investigators are also bringing in new people for questioning, including corroborating witnesses for the prosecutors.

Federal agents are in possession of video footage from Combs’ recent raids on his home, a source said. It is unclear whether the video was seized during the raids or whether investigators obtained the footage from people they interviewed.

“They are contacting people they found on the tapes,” a source told CNN.

At least one male sex worker who says he was a victim of Combs was interviewed during the investigation, a source said, adding that the person was seen in footage in the possession of federal investigators.

In some of the lawsuits against Combs, accusers have claimed they were informed after the fact that they had been filmed having sex without consenting to the filming. Combs has not responded to this specific allegation, but he denied all alleged wrongdoing in a blanket denial he released in December 2023.

Some civil lawsuits accuse Combs of drugging several of his accusers. In the two most recent lawsuits filed against Combs last week, both former fashion student April Lampros and former model Crystal McKinney accused Combs of drugging them. In Lampros’ lawsuit, she claims Combs forced her to take ecstasy and then demanded that she have sexual intercourse with one of his ex-girlfriends before raping her.

Combs has not responded to CNN’s request for comment since the two lawsuits were filed.

Combs was also accused in a civil lawsuit last November of “intentionally drugging” and sexually assaulting Joi Dickerson-Neal in 1991 when she was a college student. Although his legal team has filed a motion to dismiss parts of that lawsuit, Dickerson-Neal also accused Combs of “revenge porn” and claimed that Combs secretly recorded the sexual assault. Days later, a male friend revealed to Dickerson-Neal that he had watched the video, she claims.

Combs’ team did not respond to specific allegations of drug administration or secret recordings, but a spokesperson said at the time that the lawsuit was “trumped up and not credible” and discredited the allegations as “purely a money-making scheme.” In their motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which is still pending, Combs’ lawyers called Dickerson-Neal’s allegations “false, offensive and obscene.”