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| Diddy |
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who has faced numerous sexual assault lawsuits and a federal human trafficking investigation over the past year, has been arrested, according to his attorney.
Combs was taken into custody on Monday night at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a source with knowledge of the case told CNN. The specifics of the charges against Combs are currently unclear.
The arrest was carried out based on an indictment that is set to be unsealed on Tuesday morning, as stated by Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. HSI, which handles investigations related to transnational crime such as human trafficking, terrorism, and drug smuggling, is leading the inquiry.
According to his attorney, Combs has been in New York since last week. Negotiations for his surrender had been underway, and a grand jury returned the indictment on Monday, the source added.
Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ attorney, expressed disappointment with the prosecution, calling it unjust. He stated that Combs has been fully cooperating with the investigation and voluntarily relocated to New York in anticipation of the charges. Agnifilo emphasized Combs’ innocence, asserting that he has “nothing to hide.”
“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 and supporting the Black community,” Agnifilo said. “He is an imperfect person but not a criminal. We ask that people reserve judgment until all the facts are known. He looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Earlier this year, Combs became the focus of a prolonged sex trafficking investigation by HSI, which included dramatic searches of his homes in Los Angeles and Miami in March. The federal probe, which stems from several sexual assault allegations against Combs, has expanded to include issues of sex trafficking, money laundering, and illegal drugs.
Since November, Combs has faced ten lawsuits, nine of which accuse him directly of sexual assault. Several accusers have met with federal investigators as part of the ongoing investigation.
