A key witness testified in a courtroom about discoveries made during a law enforcement search conducted in the residence of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, located in Miami. Combs, who is 55-year-old, currently faces a litany of charges in Manhattan court. The charges include two counts of sex trafficking, two counts relating to involvement in prostitution, and participation in a racketeering conspiracy. The notable rapper was formally indicted by a grand jury subsequent to his apprehension in the month of September of the previous year.
Both Los Angeles and Miami Beach properties associated with Combs have been searched. Combs, consistently maintaining his innocence, has registered a not-guilty plea in court. The Lower Manhattan Court has summoned a mixture of high-profile individuals and public officials to testify against the father of seven; among them are Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura, his former partner, and famed singer Dawn Richard.
On May 21st, special witness Gerard Gannon, an agent of the Homeland Security Investigations, once again occupied the witness box. Gannon, the tenth witness to offer testimony during this trial, conveyed that the acquisition of a legal search warrant was instrumental in gaining access to Combs’ properties, both in Star Island and Los Angeles.
In the month of March 2024, specialized agents utilizing an armored vehicle managed to bypass the security measures in place at the properties. Upwards of 80 federal agents were deployed to conduct an extensive search of the properties. During the preceding Tuesday, Gannon relayed that their search yielded a variety of items, including lingerie, lubricant, and weapons.
Furthermore, the Southern District of New York has publicized photos taken inside Combs’ Miami-based mansion on the subsequent day. The agent also authenticated another photo displaying ‘three cell phones’ tucked into a pair of boots, and drew attention to the seizure of 31 bottles of Astroglide and 25 containers of baby oil from the premises.
Gannon additionally testified on the existence of ‘AR-15 upper and lower receivers’ within the home, along with a Gucci bag found to contain a ‘rock-like crystal substance’. The released images also featured various pills, canisters of nitrous oxide, and a green container filled with marijuana, the latter of which was inscribed with ‘Diddy’.
Bizarre messages were also discovered within the residence, scrawled on a bathroom mirror. The transcripts included phrases such as ‘What do you WANT?’ and ‘You a legend and quite stn Team Puffy’. The prosecutors have disseminated images originating from Combs’ Manhattan hotel room, indicating preparations for a ‘drug-induced lose control’.
Among the objects found in the hotel room were bottle containers likely holding clonazepam, a commonly prescribed drug for managing anxiety and preventing seizures, two small packs of a pink powder material (where one sample was identified as ketamine and the other as a mixture of MDMA and ketamine), and nearly $9,000 in cash.
Should the court find Combs culpable of the racketeering charge, he is at risk of receiving a life sentence. The sex trafficking offenses carry a statutory minimum of 15 years in prison. Lastly, facilitating transportation related to prostitution activities could result in an imprisonment of up to 10 years.