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(CN) — Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier has rejected a request from Mayor Richard Bissen to take administrative leave following claims in a federal lawsuit naming the chief as a co-conspirator in a criminal enterprise said to be run by rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The amended complaint, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, accuses Pelletier of serving in the crime syndicate during his previous tenure as a Las Vegas Police Department officer. Ashley Parham and two unnamed co-plaintiffs said Pelletier managed security for Combs’ “Las Vegas safe houses” and interfered with Parham’s attempt to report being gang-raped by Combs and his associates.
On Monday, Mayor Bissen sent a letter to Maui Police Commission chair Stacey Moniz recommending Pelletier be placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.
“While the allegations in the amended complaint remain unproven, they are serious in nature and involve claims of alleged criminal conduct,” wrote Bissen. “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 also called on the commission to investigate the matter instead of waiting for the federal case to be resolved.
Pelletier responded Tuesday with a statement rejecting the allegations and the mayor’s request.
“I want to address the recent request by Mayor Bissen to the Maui County Police Commission regarding my position as chief of police. Let me be clear: the allegations made against me are completely false, and I have not been formally served with any legal paperwork,” Pelletier said in the statement.
“Throughout my career, I have served with integrity and dedication, and I am deeply disappointed by this request, which I believe to be both premature and unjust,” he continued. “I understand the importance of transparency and accountability in law enforcement, and I fully intend to cooperate with any necessary processes to ensure the truth is known.”
The amended complaint claims that Pelletier, while posing as a sheriff, failed to help Parham after she reported being violently gang-raped. According to court documents, Parham told Pelletier she had just escaped to a neighbor’s house after being assaulted by Combs, comedian Drew “Druski” Desbordes, former Miami Dolphins star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and others.
Parham told Pelletier that she didn’t have her phone, purse, clothes, or car keys, but he reportedly refused to call emergency services or help her recover her belongings, instead telling her to find a way home. Later, Parham claims she saw Pelletier hand what she believed to be an envelope of cash to the neighbor who owned the home where she sought refuge.
Two unnamed plaintiffs, a mother and a son, also make disturbing claims in the lawsuit. They said that Pelletier abducted them from their Las Vegas residence at gunpoint, falsely claiming they were being extradited on California warrants, and transported them to several locations, including a California home where they witnessed the assault on Parham.
When a local police officer responded to the scene and attempted to talk to the mother and son, the plaintiffs wrote in the lawsuit that Pelletier interrupted, stating all three plaintiffs were suspects in a federal drug-trafficking investigation he was working on.
The amended complaint comes at a particularly sensitive time for Maui County, which is still recovering from the devastating 2023 wildfires that decimated the historic town of Lahaina and displaced thousands of residents. Pelletier, who became chief after the disaster, has faced criticism over his department’s response to the emergency.
Placing government employees on administrative leave during investigations is standard practice in Maui County. In August, Economic Development Director Luana Mahi was placed on paid leave amid an investigation into her approval of grants for family members.
Combs has been imprisoned at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since September on sex trafficking and other charges.
The Maui Police Commission has not yet announced whether it will follow Mayor Bissen’s recommendation. Pelletier, meanwhile, maintains he will continue serving in his role.
“Despite this challenge, my focus remains on serving this community and leading the Maui Police Department with the honor and integrity it deserves,” Pelletier said.
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