(NewsNation) — Homes belonging to Sean “Diddy” Combs were raided by federal investigators over a month ago, and the hip-hop mogul has not been charged, but that doesn’t mean a legal case isn’t coming, say former federal prosecutors.
Department of Homeland Security agents conducted raids March 25 at Combs’ multimillion-dollar mansion in Los Angeles and his Miami waterfront home, sparking widespread speculation about what prompted the searches.
Since then, little is still known about the investigation, likely because prosecutors are still building a case, Nadia Shihata, who prosecuted R. Kelly for sex crimes in New York, told NewsNation.
“Six weeks in a federal investigation is a very short time,” she said, adding that the complexity of this particular case will require a significant amount of time for fact-finding.
What are prosecutors doing now?
Investigators collected a lot of evidence after the raids, including electronic devices and phones, and they will need to go through all of that and analyze it carefully, she said. They are also likely interviewing a lot of people right now, including other potential victims, former and current employees or even members of his entourage, she added.
Shihata said it’s also possible that prosecutors could use the grand jury to issue subpoenas for evidence and potentially call witnesses to testify under oath.
“I suspect they are potentially looking at building a racketeering case, and a lot of it is going to be based on testimony of witnesses and potential victims, and that takes a longer time to build because you have to speak to a lot of people and then you have to corroborate as much information as you can so you can prove your case beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.
What is Diddy accused of?
Federal authorities have given sparse public comment as to what prompted the raids, but NewsNation affiliate WPIX reported that it was part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation.
Authorities are reportedly widening their probe to include potential witness intimidation, sexual assault and firearms violations, according to a New York Post report.
Reports have also indicated that the federal probe into Combs could expand to include reinvestigating a 1999 shooting outside a New York City nightclub.
Federal prosecutors have interviewed three Jane Does and one John Doe in relation to sex trafficking, sexual assault and the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms related to Combs, WNBC reported.
Multiple agencies are converging on this investigation, both bicoastal and possibly even international, which adds to the complexity, Katie Cherkasky, a criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, told NewsNation.
How long will the investigation last?
Cherkasky said it’s impossible to predict how long the investigation will take, but it’s entirely possible it could last several weeks to months or even potentially longer.
The raids came as the music producer faces a mounting list of civil lawsuits that allege abuse and sexual assault by multiple victims spanning over 30 years.
Singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who had been in a decadelong relationship with Combs in the early 2000s, filed a bombshell lawsuit in New York federal court last November alleging sex trafficking, human trafficking, sexual battery, sexual assault and gender-motivated violence, among other causes of action.
Ventura alleged that she became lured into and eventually trapped in a pattern of abuse involving forced drug use, rape, battery and forced sex acts with male sex workers.
“As a result of the immense trauma Ms. Ventura endured for over a decade with
Mr. Combs, she has suffered and continues to suffer from immense emotional distress…following her escape from the cycle of abuse and sex trafficking she endured, she struggled with the physical and mental manifestations of her trauma,” her lawsuit alleged.
She settled the lawsuit with her former partner, but her suit spawned several more to come forward.
Hotel surveillance video from 2016 obtained by CNN appeared to show Sean “Diddy” Combs violently attacking, kicking and shoving Ventura at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.
In the video, Combs is seen running in a towel after Ventura who is seen standing in front of an elevator bank. He aggressively grabs and drags her down and then kicks her before picking up her luggage. He is then seen dragging her on the floor back to a hotel room as she braces her head.
TMZ reported that Ventura worked with federal investigators for weeks, potentially even before the raids. The outlet reported that she may have helped investigators establish probable cause to obtain search warrants.
The music producer has been slapped with five civil suits in the last six months, each containing a multitude of disturbing accusations.
One accuser who filed a federal lawsuit under a “Jane Doe” pseudonym said Combs, Bad Boy Records executive Harvey Pierre and a third “assailant” gang-raped her when she was 17 after trafficking her across state lines in 2003.
“As a result of being raped by Mr. Combs, Mr. Pierre and the Third Assailant, Ms. Doe suffered significant emotional distress and feelings of shame that have plagued her life and personal relationships for 20 years,” her lawsuit alleged.
Combs has denied all the allegations.
Where is Diddy now?
While a federal case is likely mounting, Combs is apparently staying calm.
Last month, he was spotted in Miami, biking from Star Island to Miami’s South Beach area, reported E! News.
He shared a cryptic video on his social media this week, where he is seen standing on an overcast beach with heavy winds as he opens out his arms. A male voice narrates, “Steady in the storm. Looks bad, looks tough, but remains steady in the storm,” over the scene.
The video also shows the camera moving down a white hallway with scenes of him hugging someone and praying in a group circle.
“Not hysterical. Not frantic. Not anxious. Not fretful,” a voice states.
But Cherkasky said the music mogul should be very concerned at this point.
“It’s a serious thing for them to be taking a serious look into all of these allegations … they don’t do that when they don’t have some significant probable cause in a case of this magnitude,” she said. “They put a lot of resources into it, so I don’t think that they’re just on a fishing expedition.”