Sean “Diddy” Combs, an American rapper and record producer, was detained Monday night in New York City by federal officials working for Homeland Security Investigations, according to several sources.
Combs was arrested after a federal grand jury in Manhattan delivered an indictment against him, sources told ABC News.
The charges remain sealed.
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Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ lawyer, issued a statement calling the case “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 about a year after his long-term ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a civil action alleging misconduct. At least ten more lawsuits were filed following that. Combs has denied all the charges.
According to prior reports, federal officials raided Combs’ houses in Los Angeles and Miami in March.
A representative for Homeland Security Investigations stated at the time that the raid was carried out as part of a “ongoing investigation.”
In late March, law enforcement sources informed ABC News that federal investigators with Homeland Security Investigations confiscated a number of electronic devices during court-authorized searches of Combs’ two houses.
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According to the sources, the searches were conducted in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a federal sex trafficking probe into the hip-hop and liquor mogul.
HSI investigators flooded Combs’ residences and seized evidence as part of an investigation led by Southern District of New York prosecutors.
A number of women have accused Combs of rape, sex trafficking, and other mistreatment in civil cases they have brought against him. Every accusation of sexual impropriety has been refuted by him.
