NEED TO KNOW
- Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial continued for the eighth day on Wed., May 21, with Homeland Security Agent Gerard Gannon on the stand
- His ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, testified for four days last week about how he physically abused her and forced her to perform sex acts with male escorts
- Combs pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution
Federal agents found more than they bargained for when they raided Sean “Diddy” Combs’ $48 million Miami mansion in the spring of 2024.
On March 25, 2024, Homeland Security agents used an armored vehicle to storm the ornate front gate at the rap mogul’s estate on uber-exclusive Star Island while executing a search warrant on the property, according to testimony from Homeland Security Special Agent Gerard Gannon, who led the raid.
With teams of agents manning boats in the waters bordering the 20,000-acre estate, agents on land entered the mansion and searched the home for evidence of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The closet in the primary bedroom contained a wealth of alleged evidence including parts of AR-15-style rifles, some with their serial numbers scratched off, as well as loaded magazines, Gannon testified.
Jurors were shown photographs of some of the seized property, including items Combs allegedly used in his marathon sex sessions, such as sex toys and lingerie.
Also found were plastic bins containing 25 bottles of Johnson’s Baby Oil and 31 bottles of Astroglide lubricant.
Also in the mix: at least one rubber duck.
At the time, Combs’ attorneys described the raids on his Miami and Los Angeles homes as a “gross overuse of military-level force,” the Associated Press reported.
In court, Gannon testified that breaking down the front gates “was the quickest and safest option to be able to get onto the property,” The New York Times reports.
Gannon also testified that agents found a pair of red high heels and cellphones stuffed inside a Balenciaga boot, NBC News reports.
Inside the closet in the primary bedroom, agents allegedly also found a Gucci bag with white residue that tested positive for cocaine and ketamine, and small bags of pills that tested positive for MDMA and Xanax.
Some of the small pills were stamped with the Tesla logo, NBC News reports.
Gannon was the latest witness to testify in Combs’ trial in Manhattan federal court on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Last week, Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, spent four days on the stand testifying about how the music mogul allegedly beat her and coerced her into taking part in drug-fueled sex sessions, often with male escorts, that Combs filmed. He allegedly threatened to make the videos he filmed of her public when he became angry with her.
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Combs could face up to life in prison if he is convicted on all counts. Since his arrest, he has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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