MAUI, Hawaii (KHON2) — Maui’s police chief, a well-known soccer participant and a comic are among the many high-profile males accused in a civil lawsuit of taking part in or facilitating crimes alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs. The chief and others say it is all false, however the Maui mayor has referred to as for the chief to be placed on administrative depart.
Combs is in custody awaiting federal prison trial on racketeering and intercourse trafficking costs. Now a civil lawsuit filed in federal court docket in California alleges present Maui Police Chief John Pelletier served as safety and facilitator for Combs, typically impersonating regulation enforcement from different jurisdictions.
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A virtually 90-page lawsuit alleges Pelletier of serving as muscle for Combs in California and Las Vegas, a number of years earlier than Pelletier left Las Vegas to grow to be chief of police for Maui County. The identical go well with additionally accuses NFL participant Odell Beckham Jr. and a comic referred to as Druski of rape.
When requested in regards to the validity of the accusations, Maui Police Division spokesperson Alana Pico mentioned the chief has no connection to anybody within the go well with.
“We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate these claims to be false and will expose those who are deliberately trying to manipulate the legal system to spread misleading narratives,” Pico mentioned.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, in response to the allegations, has since referred to as for Pelletier to be positioned on administrative depart pending additional investigation, saying that the short-term suspension follows precedent of the county.
“There is precedent within County of Maui government for placing appointed officials on leave while allegations against them are investigated. This approach does not constitute a presumption of guilt but ensures that the individual in question is not in a position that may compromise the integrity of the office while the matter is under review,” Bissen mentioned partially in a letter to the Maui Police Fee.
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“Given the gravity of the allegations, I recommend that the Maui Police Commission place Chief Pelletier on administrative leave pending further investigation. Additionally, I urge the Commission to conduct its own independent review rather than waiting for the resolution of the federal case. Taking proactive steps will demonstrate the County’s commitment to transparency, accountability and ethical governance,” Bissen continued.
Inquiries on the accusations had been additionally despatched to the police union, who declined to remark. The plaintiffs’ attorneys didn’t reply to requests for additional questions.
Beckham Jr. declined the feedback on social media, saying “I really can’t even believe that my name is mentioned in that matter. There is absolutely no truth to those allegations.”
Drew Desbordes, a comic identified professionally as “Druski” additionally addressed the allegations on social media, denying the validity.
“This allegation is a fabricated lie. I was broke living with my mom without any connections to the entertainment industry at the time of this allegation, so the inclusion of my name is truly outlandish,” the comic mentioned.
In line with authorized analyst Doug Chin, excessive profile people could be named in conditions resembling this one, as they may probably be open to monetary settlements.
“It’s not uncommon at all for high profile people to be named, especially be named as a large group of defendants in this kind of lawsuit,” Chin mentioned. “And the reason why is because when you’re sitting at a very high level in the government, whether you’re the police chief or a mayor or the governor of a state, it’s very easy to be targeted, because that potentially opens up the finances and the wallet.”
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The accusations date again to 2018 when Pelletier was nonetheless on the mainland with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division. He’s accused, amongst different issues, of posing as a Contra Costa, Calif. sheriff to be able to deter a lady from submitting a rape cost.
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“I think the thing about high profile people is that they do have a strong presence in terms of anybody being able to Google or determine whether or not somebody is actually in the vicinity, and then accuse them of doing something because they were in that location,” Chin mentioned. “Again, we don’t know, maybe these specific allegations are true, but the best thing to do is to wait for the lawsuit to play out and find out whether they are true or completely false.”
Different unnamed plaintiffs allege Pelletier arrested them at gunpoint in Las Vegas below bogus warrant costs and restrained them in his house. They allege Pelletier saved an inventory of protected homes for Combs’ notorious events. The lawsuit involving Pelletier is a civil matter, whereas the case towards Combs is a prison case.
“There’s a difference between a civil case, which is one person suing another person for money, versus a criminal case, which would be the government investigating somebody and then accusing that person of a crime for which they might end up doing prison time or have to pay a large fine to the government,” Chin mentioned.
Along with the Maui chief strongly denying all of the allegations on this go well with, his spokesperson added: “In 2018, while serving as a captain in Las Vegas, Chief Pelletier was honored by the Rape Crisis Center for his exceptional leadership and commitment to community safety, specifically through his role as a champion of the Stay S.A.F.E. program dedicated to sexual assault prevention. These baseless allegations not only harm Chief Pelletier but also show a lack of respect for victims of abuse, whose voices deserve to be heard and supported with compassion and integrity.”
