Sean “Diddy” Combs arrested after grand jury indictment

Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested Monday in New York as part of a federal sex trafficking investigation, officials said.

There were no further details about the charges against the hip-hop mogul and entrepreneur. A grand jury has been convened to investigate the allegations.

Late Monday, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued a brief statement saying Combs was “arrested on a sealed indictment from the SDNY. We expect to unseal the indictment this morning and will have more to say then.”

According to sources, Combs was arrested without incident at around 8:30 p.m. at a New York hotel where he was staying.

Law enforcement sources told the Times earlier this year that Combs had been the subject of a broad investigation into sex trafficking allegations that led to federal authorities raiding his properties in Los Angeles and Miami in March.

In civil lawsuits, four women have accused Combs of rape, assault and other abuse dating back three decades. One of the allegations involved a minor. The allegations sent shockwaves through the music industry and put Combs' entertainment empire in jeopardy.

Read more: What you should know about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest, lawsuits and raids

Combs vehemently denied any wrongdoing and his lawyer criticized prosecutors on Monday.

“We are disappointed in the U.S. Attorney's decision to pursue what we believe is an unjustified prosecution of Mr. Combs,” Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo said in a statement. “Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a music icon, a self-made entrepreneur, a loving family man and a proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to advance the black community.”

The attorney said Combs was “not a perfect person, but he is not a criminal. It is a testament to him that Mr. Combs has been consistently cooperative with this investigation and voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve judgment until you know all the facts. These are the actions of an innocent man who has nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Department of Homeland Security officials conducted searches of the Bad Boy Entertainment co-founder's mansions on March 25 as part of the federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations, law enforcement sources said.

The 1,500-square-foot Holmby Hills mansion where Combs debuted his debut album, “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” was packed with agents executing a search warrant and gathering evidence on behalf of an investigation led by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, police officials familiar with the investigation say.

Combs' legal problems have been piling up for months.

Last week, Dawn Richard, a former member of Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money and solo artist, sued Combs in New York, accusing him of sexual assault, harassment and inhumane treatment.

In her lawsuit, she claimed that Combs groped her without her consent, wrongfully imprisoned her, denied her and her bandmates basic needs, and that “submission to his depraved demands was necessary for professional advancement.”

Read more: Behind the catastrophic fall of hip-hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Richards' attorney Lisa Bloom said in a statement to The Times: “In light of Sean Combs' brutal beating of his girlfriend, which was captured on video, and the eight people who have now accused him of abuse in court documents, including my brave client Dawn Richard, this arrest seems long overdue. It is a big, heartwarming day for the victims, but an arrest is only the beginning. May Mr. Combs receive justice. We ask other accusers to come forward in solidarity and join us in this fight.”

His former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, the singer known as Cassie, accused him of rape and repeated physical attacks, saying he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes in front of him. Combs quickly settled with Ventura, who filed suit against him last year. Months later, a 2016 video released by CNN showed Combs stalking, kicking and dragging Ventura in an LA hotel.

Another accuser, Joi Dickerson-Neal, said in a lawsuit that Combs drugged and raped her in 1991, recorded the attack and then distributed the footage without her consent.

Liza Gardner filed a third lawsuit alleging that Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall sexually harassed her. Hall could not be reached for comment.

Another lawsuit alleges that Combs and former Bad Boy label president Harve Pierre raped and sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl. Pierre said in a statement that the allegations were “disgusting,” “false” and a “desperate attempt to gain financial gain.”

Read more: A chronology of the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs

After filing the fourth lawsuit, Combs wrote on Instagram: “Enough is enough… I have had vile allegations made against me by people looking to make a quick buck. Let me be very clear: I have done none of the horrible things I am accused of. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

In the spring, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed a federal lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of sexually harassing and threatening him for over a year.

Times writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.