Diddy investigation may be further along than thought: Former federal prosecutor | Exclusive
NEW YORK - There are signs now that the investigation involving Sean "Diddy" Combs may be further along than many observers thought. A former federal prosecutor says he may be looking at a RICO sex trafficking case. This comes as Diddy breaks his social media silence, but does not refer to his looming legal issues.
Sean "Diddy" Combs posted beautiful photos of his youngest daughter on his Instagram with the caption, "Happy Easter from Baby Love.' The adorable images are a sharp contrast to the investigation he's facing, one so intense it prompted raids on March 25th on his Miami and Los Angeles homes.
"They have now conducted two public search warrants of two homes, that's a significant step in any investigation. It means they have probable cause to believe a crime has been committed and that they'll find evidence of that crime in those locations," said Nadia Shihata, a former federal prosecutor and current partner of the law firm Shihata and Geddes LLP.
Shihata, who successfully prosecuted R&B singer R. Kelly in the RICO sex trafficking case brought by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, says that the home raids signal a critical turning point, indicating that the case has become a major federal investigation.
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"It suggests to me that the investigation is well underway. You need more than just allegations to convince two different federal judges that you have enough for a search warrant, and that suggests to me that they've probably spoken to multiple people," Shihata said.
Combs has categorically denied any wrongdoing in multiple civil lawsuits as well as the sex trafficking case.
Amid the social media frenzy surrounding the Diddy investigation are unproved allegations going back decades. Shihata says the typical statute of limitations for adult sex trafficking is 10 years, but a RICO charge could make it even longer.
"Each of these crimes can be charged as predicate acts under RICO, the racketeering statute that would expand the statute of limitations applicable, and you could go back decades," says Shihata.
The next step is for prosecutors to present the case to a grand jury, which could decide to indict Combs and others or dismiss the case.
"I suspect that they may have already started presenting evidence to a grand jury, or potentially putting witnesses before a grand jury," Shihata said.
FOX 5 NY reached out to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York which is in charge of the multi-state investigation, and a spokesperson told us they declined to comment. We also reached out to Combs criminal defense attorney, Aaron Dyer, who did not respond to a request for comment.
