According to legal expert Neama Rahmani, it is a “very real possibility” that Sean “Diddy” Combs could be arrested and sentenced to life in prison following sex trafficking allegations.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this is another Jeffrey Epstein or an R. Kelly type [of sex trafficking] case where we’re talking about multiple victims across multiple jurisdictions over a significant period of time,” Rahmani, an attorney who is not affiliated with the case, claimed to Us Weekly exclusively on Tuesday, March 26. “And again, these are just allegations. Nothing’s proven yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Diddy is arrested in the coming days or weeks and he’s going to have to face these charges.”
Rahmani added: “There’s no possible plea that is going to get him off with a slap on the wrist or probation. If the prosecutors are successful and able to prove it, he may end up dying in prison.”
News broke on Monday, March 25, that law enforcement agents had raided two of Diddy’s residences. Homeland Security later confirmed to Us that the raids were in connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation.
Diddy, 54, has not currently been arrested on any related charge, but a conviction of one count of sex trafficking carries a minimum prison sentence of 10 to 15 years.
“[Federal agents were] looking for evidence of criminal activity, primarily sex trafficking … but other crimes as well, including potential gun and firearm charges, and we’re talking about someone who may spend decades in federal prison like R. Kelly,” Rahmani said of the raids. “This is why under federal law, if someone is convicted of even one count of sex trafficking, it carries a minimum 10- or 15-year prison sentence — minimum. The judge can’t go any lower for each count depending on the age of the victim.”
Diddy was not at either of his Los Angeles or Miami properties at the time of the raids and has not publicly addressed the claims. His attorney, meanwhile, denounced the accusations in a statement on Tuesday.
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Diddy’s attorney, Aaron Dyer, told Us. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”
According to Rahmani, Homeland Security had likely been investigating the music mogul since November 2023 when his ex-girlfriend Cassie (full name Casandra Ventura) sued him for sexual assault and physical abuse over a 10-year period. Diddy vehemently denied Cassie’s claims before the exes reached a settlement. Cassie’s accusations inspired multiple other women to share similar stories of alleged abuse, which Diddy also denied.
“I think this all started with that lawsuit … when Cassie sued Diddy. Cassie was with Diddy for a decade and she knew where the bodies were buried and she spilled it all out,” Rahmani theorized. “And that encouraged other victims to come forward. There was lawsuit after lawsuit alleging that Diddy and others had engaged in sex trafficking. So now it’s gone from a civil lawsuit, which is about money, to a full-blown criminal investigation and a very serious one that’s based out of the Southern District of New York, probably the most prestigious prosecutor’s office in the country.”
Rahmani further noted that Homeland Security is “probably close to the end” of its investigation.
“There’s two types of warrants. There’s a search warrant, which is what we saw earlier this week where agents went into the home,” the lawyer explained to Us. “So a federal judge reviews the evidence, and if there’s enough probable cause, he or she will sign the warrant allowing agents to go into the home and to seize evidence. Then there’s a second type of warrant, which is an arrest warrant. So once prosecutors go to the grand jury and they get an indictment, which is a charging document, a judge will issue an arrest warrant, and anyone else involved in the sex trafficking ring will be arrested.”
Rahmani continued: “I don’t think it’s a matter of if, I think it’s a matter of when Diddy will be arrested. … He should make sure that he has his lawyers on standby because he’s likely going to face federal sex trafficking charges very soon.”
Should Diddy be arrested, it would be up to the federal judge to determine whether bail is appropriate or if the rapper will remain in jail until trial.
If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
