Could feds seize Diddy's Star Island enclaves after the jury's stunning verdict?

Miami Herald

03-07-2025

Could Sean 'Diddy' Combs' posh mansions on Miami Beach's Star Island be seized by federal prosecutors?
It's possible, attorney Mark Eiglarsh told the Herald. However, Eiglarsh, a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney with three decades of experience, said he believes that's unlikely to happen.
Diddy was found not guilty of federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges with links to Miami on Wednesday morning. The 55-year-old entertainment mogul could still spend up to two decades in prison because the 12 jurors found Diddy guilty of two counts of a prostitution-related crime, a less severe charge.
READ MORE: Diddy do it? Jury says music exec not guilty of sex trafficking – but of prostitution
Diddy's enclaves in Miami Beach and Los Angeles were blitzed by federal agents last year. The raids ended in his arrest six months after in September 2024.
The indictment included forfeiture counts for each allegation against the embattled Grammy Award-winner, court records show. In a forfeiture action, prosecutors can seize items used to commit crimes, Eiglarsh said.
Seized items don't just include money but other property, like a home, vehicle or cellphone. Eiglarsh added he wouldn't be surprised if prosecutors argue that the Miami Beach homes were used in crimes related to prostitution.
The Bad Boy records label founder owns 1 Star Island Drive, which he purchased from Gloria and Emilio Estefan in 2021 for $35 million, and 2 Star Island Drive, which he has owned for more than two decades.
'Whether the judge will embrace that argument and not find it overbroad and overreaching is another issue,' he told the Herald.
For Eiglarsh, less is on the table because of Diddy's acquittal. Prosecutors' chances of seizing the luxurious homes would be higher if the star had been convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Much of the alleged activity occurred at Diddy's Star Island mansions. He was accused of running a 'racketeering conspiracy' by having 'engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals.'
READ MORE: Prostitutes, opioids and guns? Cops called to Diddy's Miami Beach mansions over 30 times
The Herald's review of police records show officers were called to Diddy's mansions more than three dozen times — with callers complaining about prostitution, drugs and illicit weapons inside the sprawling homes since 2021.