A former federal prosecutor is pointing to the past indictments of R. Kelly, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell as "a playbook" for the possible prosecution of Diddy, whose homes were raided earlier this year.
Elizabeth Geddes, whose 15 years of experience in the field includes the investigation and prosecution of Kelly in New York, is among those quoted in an extensive new piece from Cheyenne Roundtree and Nancy Dillon for Rolling Stone. The piece, six months in the making, pulls from dozens of interviews ranging Diddy's ex-friends to former employees.
As pointed out here, a source suggested that those aforementioned March raids at Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami, which involved Homeland Security Investigations officials, could be related to an alleged sex trafficking and racketeering investigation. Per Geddes, sex trafficking could be pursued as a standalone charge, or it could be used as part of a larger racketeering case moving forward.
"Sex trafficking is certainly a potential component of a pattern of racketeering, or it could be charged on its own," Geddes told RS. "The indictments of R. Kelly, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell—high-profile individuals who long evaded real accountability by law enforcement—offer prosecutors a playbook for a possible prosecution of Sean Combs."
Complex has reached out to Diddy's reps for comment.
Thus far, Diddy hasn't faced charges at that level. However, he has been accused of assault in multiple lawsuits, including a swiftly settled one from former romantic partner Cassie last year. Months later, CNN released surveillance footage circa 2016 showing Diddy assaulting Cassie at a hotel in the Los Angeles area. Both Diddy and Cassie released statements following the footage's surfacing.
"My behavior on that video is inexcusable," Diddy said in a video shared to social media. "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I'm disgusted now."
Diddy, through a legal rep, had previously denied all allegations against him, including those at the center of a lawsuit from Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones Jr. In her own statement, Cassie expressed gratitude for those who have offered her support. She also spoke directly to those who may find themselves in a difficult situation of their own.
"I offer my hand to those that are still living in fear," Cassie said last week. "Reach out to your people, don't cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone."
As for the possibility of charges in connection with the 2016 footage, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office previously confirmed it "would be unable to charge" due to the incident having "occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted."
