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Sean "Diddy" Combs claims federal agents confiscated "privileged" items during a raid on his jail cell.
In legal documents iHeartRadio obtained on Monday, November 18, Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo accused federal agents of obtaining "privileged material" from his client during a surprise raid on the artist's cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He claimed the feds swiped Comb's a few things including handwritten notes to his legal team. Agnifilo alleged the search and seizure of the items violate of his client's Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights. He also argued that the prosecution is using the material in question to keep Combs locked up.
"The targeted seizure of a pre-trial detainee’s work product and privileged materials – created in preparation for trial – is outrageous government conduct amounting to a substantive due process violation," Agnifilo argued. "Because the prosecutors are currently in possession of privileged material and are actively using this material to detain the defendant, the defense requests an immediate evidentiary hearing."
Lawyers for Bad Boy founder have requested an emergency hearing to find out exactly what was taken as well as who decided what materials to take. They also who authorized the search, who decided not to tell Diddy about the seizure, and who gave the materials to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the trial prosecutors. His attorneys also think the feds are in possession of their trial strategies. However, the prosecution says otherwise.
Shortly after the defense made their filing, the U.S. Attorney denied claims that private materials were confiscated. According to TMZ, Combs had a manila folder marked "legal," a notebook, an address book and other personal items. The U.S. Attorney said the manila folder was not taken nor was it opened. The notebook and address book were photographed and left at Combs' bunk. Each photo was sent to a "filter team," who reacted anything they felt should be kept private before turning the images over to prosecutors. They also said the raid was pre-planned prior to Combs' arrest.
The raid happened before the prosecution alleged Combs made attempts to influence potential witnesses and jurors ahead of his upcoming trial. Prosecutors recently accused Combs of using unauthorized methods of communication to get in touch with third parties. They claim he used 3-way calling on monitored phone lines, third party text messaging providers and phone access codes from other inmates to contact other people. The prosecution cited these allegations in their most recent filing to justify the raid.
Combs will go to trial over his sex trafficking and racketeering charges in May 2025. He previously pleaded not guilty to all the charges.