Federal authorities confirmed on Saturday that a recent sweep of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, where Sean “Diddy” Combs is held on sex trafficking conspiracy charges, resulted in the seizure of drugs, homemade weapons, and electronic devices. Combs is currently awaiting trial scheduled for next year.
The Bureau of Prisons coordinated the operation, which began on Monday, emphasizing that it was preplanned and not directly related to Combs’s detention. The goal was to ensure the safety and security of both staff and inmates at the facility, which houses approximately 1,200 inmates and has faced increased scrutiny following a series of violent incidents. This summer, two men were fatally stabbed, leading to murder charges against five inmates. Additionally, four other detainees and a guard were charged with assault in connection to an incident where one man was stabbed 44 times by gang members.
MDC has previously housed notable inmates, including Ghislaine Maxwell, a co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, and currently holds cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried alongside Combs. Diddy’s legal team has previously sought bail, citing poor conditions in the jail.
Facing over a dozen civil sexual assault claims, Combs has appealed to the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals for his release after being denied bail twice by Manhattan judges. A hearing regarding this appeal is scheduled for Monday.
The US Justice Department has described Combs’s legal maneuvers as an attempt to undermine the government’s case and disrupt criminal proceedings, raising concerns about witness security.
In related news, TMZ reported that Combs required guests at one of his controversial gatherings, dubbed “freak offs,” to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) prohibiting photography, filming, or recording of him and others without written consent. The NDA specifically names social media platforms where attendees are forbidden from posting photos without Combs’s permission.