Diddy's Jail Cell Reportedly Raided By Feds With Several Privileged Materials Seized
By Favour Adegoke on November 18, 2024 at 3:30 PM EST
Rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs was reportedly the target of a federal raid in his jail cell, reports have claimed.
Since September, the rapper has been detained at the special housing unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York after being indicted and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Privileged materials were allegedly seized during the raid, with some pertaining to Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing case.
Diddy's Legal Notes Were Reportedly Seized During The Raid
After being indicted by a federal grand jury in September on sex crimes charges, Diddy was arrested and detained in the Metropolitan Detention Center.
Unlike most inmates in the facility's regular section, the rapper was kept in the special housing unit reserved for detainees who require special protection.
While this move has likely shielded Diddy from unwanted interactions with other inmates, it did not spare him from becoming the target of a surprise raid by authorities on his jail cell, per TMZ.
His legal team, led by Marc Agnifilo, made the revelation in a new filing, noting that the prosecution had somehow obtained privileged information that could only have been seized from Diddy's cell by the feds.
The exact timing of the raid remains unclear. However, attorney Agnifilo revealed that some of the seized items included Diddy's handwritten notes to his legal team.
These notes reportedly contained details about defense witnesses and strategies for his trial, which is scheduled to begin in May 2025.
Diddy's Lawyers Want A Hearing To Address The Raid Incident
According to Agnifilo, federal authorities are not denying that they are in possession of the notes taken from Diddy's cell.
He further alleged that the confiscated materials may have aided federal prosecutors in creating a filing that has played a role in keeping Diddy detained behind bars.
The attorney also argued that the raid not only violated Diddy's "Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights" but also constituted a clear case of "outrageous government conduct amounting to a substantive due process violation."
Moving forward, Agnifilo and Diddy's legal team are seeking a hearing in which prosecutors will be required to answer questions regarding the search and seizure of materials from Diddy's cell.
This includes "who authorized a search of Diddy's cell, who determined what materials to take, who decided to give these materials to the U.S. Attorney's Office, who decided to give the materials to the trial prosecutors, who decided not to tell Diddy about the seizure, and what exactly was taken."
The Rapper Requested Bail For A Fourth Time
Earlier in the month, Diddy, via his attorneys, made another attempt to free himself from his trial after three previous bail denials.
They proposed an extremely substantial, comprehensive bail package, in addition to their earlier arguments about him not being a flight risk, per USA Today.
Some of the conditions within the package include a "$50 million bond secured by the equity in Combs and his mother's Florida homes, implementation of a 24/7 monitoring service by approved security personnel."
They also added that the rapper will have "no internet or phone access outside of meetings with legal counsel, a pre-approved visitor list consisting of select family members, and surrendered passports belonging to the rapper and his family members."
Federal Prosecutors Have Argued Against Diddy's Forth Bail Attempt
A decision on the bail request has yet to be reached, but federal prosecutors are fighting hard to ensure it is denied once again.
In a document filed on Friday, they claimed that the rapper poses a "serious risk of obstruction, danger, and flight."
They also mentioned that Diddy has tried to obstruct his sex crimes case by making efforts "to publicly leak materials he views as helpful to his case" as well as putting into motion "media campaigns that are, in his own words, aimed at tainting the jury pool."
The filing also alleged that Diddy violated the rule prohibiting contact with individuals not on his approved contact list, including witnesses relevant to his case.
To avoid being caught, he reportedly used the telephone accounts of at least eight other inmates. He paid for the access through other inmates using "payment processing apps and BOP (Bureau of Prisons) commissary account deposits."
The Rapper Was Accused Of Influencing Witnesses And Jurors From His Jail Cell
According to Page Six, prosecutors accused Diddy of trying to "corruptly influence" his sex trafficking trial by evading how his calls are monitored, as well as "blackmailing victims" from his prison cell.
In a filing made on Friday, prosecutors claimed he "repeatedly" communicated with others in ways that violated the prison's regulations.
They noted that Diddy had used the telephone accounts of "at least eight other inmates" in an effort to avoid prosecutors monitoring his calls with people who aren't on his contact list.
To worsen it, he has allegedly gotten the other person on the call, including those on his contact list, to "add other individuals via three-way call."
"This practice is also not authorized by BOP [Federal Bureau of Prisons] as it helps conceal the identities of the contacted individuals," the court documents read. "The defendant's repeated circumvention of BOP regulations—starting almost immediately after arriving at MDC—speaks volumes about his ability to comply with any conditions of release."