American rapper and record producer, Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested Monday night in New York City by federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations, multiple sources told ABC News.
A federal grand jury in Manhattan returned an indictment against Combs, which set in motion his arrest, sources told ABC News
The charges remain sealed.
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, addressed the news in a statement, calling it “an unjust prosecution.”
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sean “Diddy” Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community,” the statement read.
“He is an imperfect person, but he Is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Combs has been under investigation for the better part of a year since his longtime former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, came forward with allegations in a civil lawsuit. At least 10 additional lawsuits followed. Combs has denied the allegations in all of them
Back in March, Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes were raided by federal agents, authorities previously said.
A Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson said in a statement at the time that the raid was executed as part of an “ongoing investigation.”
Law enforcement sources told ABC News, also in late March, that federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations seized a number of electronic devices as part of the court-authorized searches of Combs’ two properties.
The searches, carried out in Los Angeles and Miami, were part of a federal sex trafficking investigation into the hip-hop and liquor mogul, the sources said.
HSI agents flooded Combs’ mansions and gathered evidence as part of an investigation led by prosecutors with the Southern District of New York.
Several women have filed civil lawsuits against Combs accusing him of rape, sex trafficking and other alleged abuses. He has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.
