Pelletier: Accusations ‘baseless’ after being named in civil lawsuit against Diddy

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier strongly denies any involvement in case alleging Sean “Diddy” Combs and others gang raped Ashley Parham in 2018 in Orinda, Calif., after he was named in a civil lawsuit against the rapper.

He presented debit card records showing transactions as proof that he was not present during the alleged rape and shared a statement with Big Island Now’s sister publication Maui Now categorically denying his presence during the alleged incident.

“I have 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,” he said. “I can unequivocally account for my whereabouts on that date, with documented proof confirming I was in Las Vegas.”

Pelletier is named as a co-defendant is the lawsuit filed in October 2024 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

The lawsuit alleges Pelletier posed as a Contra Costa, Calif., Sheriff and failed to call for emergency services when Parham reported the violent incident.

A list provided by Pelletier shows multiple debit card transactions occurring in Las Vegas on March 23, 2018, and the following day, including charges for food, grocery, restaurant, fitness and insurance charges.

An amended complaint was filed March 7 of this year, naming multiple co-defendants for their various reported roles in the alleged incident.

Two other plaintiffs, a mother and son named as Jane and John Doe, said they witnessed the rape and allege Pelletier and others forcibly took them from Las Vegas to California where they witnessed the assault, according to earlier reports detailed by the Hawaiʻi Journalism Initiative.

Among others named in the amended complaint in addition to Pelletier are comedian Drew “Druski” Desbordes and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. 

Las Vegas is more than 8 and a half hours by car from Orinda, where the alleged incident happened.

Pelletier also challenged an image attached to the lawsuit that points to a man seen in the background with Diddy at a sporting event. Maui Now located a YouTube video (time code 1:48-1:49) that shows a different angle of the man from the picture in question contained in the lawsuit.

“Additionally, the image presented in the Parham lawsuit is a screenshot from a video posted during the Feb. 4, 2018, Super Bowl in Minnesota,” Pelletier said. “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.”

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen recommended earlier this week that the Maui County Police Commission put Pelletier on leave while the claims made by the lawsuit are investigated.

He also urged commissioners to conduct their own independent review rather than wait for a resolution in the case.

“I am 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,” Pelletier said. “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.”

Discussion and a potential decision on the mayor’s recommendations are on the agenda for the next meeting of the Maui Police Commission scheduled at 10 a.m. March 19 at the Maui County Service Center in Kahului.

“Despite these unfounded accusations, I remain fully committed to the officers, staff and residents of this county,” Pelletier said.

He genuinely appreciates the support he’s received from “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,” the chief said.

Pelletier was sworn in as Maui police chief in 2021 and led the local law enforcement response to the devastating August 2023 Maui wildfires.