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After federal agents raided rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes earlier this week, the famed rapper declared his innocence despite alleged links to a human trafficking investigation. On “Fox & Friends First” Thursday, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Bob Bianchi explained why the raids were a “very ominous sign” for “Diddy.”
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BOB BIANCHI: Typically speaking, [prosecutors] don’t make moves like this, this significant, establishing probable cause before a judge to enter into a location, get phones, get electronic data, going through some of these homes, knowing that it’s going to be a high-profile case, unless they have a significant belief that significant evidence of criminality will be found at that location. And that is exactly the standard that the judge signing the warrants found, based upon the information investigators gave them. Now, of course, he’s presumed innocent. No one’s saying that he’s done anything at this particular point in time. But as a criminal defense lawyer now, after having been a prosecutor for many years, I would look at this as being a very ominous sign for him.
Law enforcement agents were photographed outside Diddy’s Beverly Hill’s estate on March 25. Homeland security raided several of the rappers’ properties. (HIGHFIVE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images)
Homeland Security officials raided Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami on Monday.
A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the raids on Diddy’s homes are connected to a federal human trafficking investigation. It’s unclear if the rapper is the target of the federal agents’ investigation.
Combs denied the “meritless accusations” waged against him as he spoke out for the first time following the raids.
Sean Combs’ LA house was raided by Homeland Security officials Monday as part of an ongoing investigation. It’s unclear if the rapper was home at the time. (FOX 11/Getty Images)
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“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” his attorney, Aaron Dyer, said Tuesday in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
“There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.”
“This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits,” Dyer added.
“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
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Fox News’ Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
VideoThis article was written by Fox News staff.
