Maui’s police chief says he has proof that he was never in any of the places where a victim of Sean “Diddy” Combs claimed he was in a federal civil suit alleging the veteran police officer was an operative for the rap baron who helped him hide his sex assaults.
In a statement given to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser with a trove of credit card receipts, Maui Police Chief John Lawrence Pelletier said he “never visited the city of Orinda or Contra Costa County, Calif., where the alleged first incident is claimed to have occurred on March 23, 2018.”
Pelletier said a photo purporting to show him walking behind Combs at the 2018 Super Bowl that was offered as an exhibit in the lawsuit is not him.
“I can unequivocally account for my whereabouts on that date, with documented proof confirming I was in Las Vegas. Additionally, the image presented in the (victim’s) lawsuit is a screenshot from a video posted during the Feb. 4, 2018, Super Bowl in Minnesota. I have never been to Minnesota nor attended a Super Bowl. At that time, I was also in Las Vegas, as verified by documented evidence,” said Pelletier, referring to credit card receipts that show him ordering food and paying for gas and other life essentials in Nevada.
Pelletier said he is “deeply disappointed by the rush to judgment and the calls for me to be placed on leave within hours of a baseless civil accusation — one for which I have yet to be formally served.”
“This was done without allowing me to present documented proof of my whereabouts on the dates of these alleged incidents — evidence that categorically disproves these claims,” said Pelletier a 22-year veteran of the Las Vegas police department when he was sworn in as MPD chief in December 2021.
“Despite these unfounded accusations, I remain fully committed to the officers, staff, and residents of this County. I genuinely appreciate the support of those who understand my character, my dedication to my family, and my lifelong commitment to this profession. I will continue to focus on serving this community and leading the Maui Police Department with the honor and integrity it deserves.”
Pelletier is not named or charged in the 14-page indictment released in September that accuses Combs, 55, of luring female victims to take part in “freak-offs,” or elaborate sex performances, involving male sex workers that at times lasted days and were sometimes recorded.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen sent a letter to the Police Commission asking commissioners to place Pelletier on administrative leave while conducting an independent review of the civil allegations.
Commissioners will consider the mayor’s letter at their meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday in Kahului.
