MAUI, Hawaii (KHON2) — Maui’s police chief, a famous football player and a comedian are among the high-profile men accused in a civil lawsuit of participating in or facilitating crimes alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs. The chief says the claims are false, but the Maui mayor has called for the chief to be put on administrative leave.

Combs is in custody awaiting federal criminal trial on racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Now a civil lawsuit filed in federal court in California alleges current Maui Police Chief John Pelletier served as security and facilitator for Combs, sometimes impersonating law enforcement from other jurisdictions.

Maui police chief calls Diddy lawsuit allegations ‘false’

A nearly 90-page lawsuit alleges Pelletier of serving as muscle for Combs in California and Las Vegas, several years before Pelletier left Las Vegas to become chief of police for Maui County. The same suit also accuses NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. and a comedian known as Druski of rape.

When asked about the accusations, Maui Police Department spokesperson Alana Pico said the chief has no connection to anyone in the suit.

“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 said.

Maui County Mayor calls for police chief to be placed on leave

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, in response to the allegations, has since called for Pelletier to be placed on administrative leave pending further investigation, saying that the temporary 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 said in part in a letter to the Maui Police Commission.

“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 were also sent to the police union, who declined to comment. The plaintiffs’ attorneys did not respond to requests for further questions.

Odell Beckham Jr., Druski accused in assault with Diddy

Beckham Jr. declined the comments 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 comedian known professionally as “Druski” also addressed the allegations on social media, denying them.

“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 comedian said.

According to legal analyst Doug Chin, high profile individuals can be named in situations such as this one, as they could potentially be open to financial 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 said. “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.”

Maui police chief accused in Diddy suit of posing as other law enforcement

The accusations date back to 2018 when Pelletier was still on the mainland with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He is accused, among other things, of posing as a Contra Costa, Calif. sheriff in order to deter a woman from filing a rape charge.

“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 said. “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.”

Other unnamed plaintiffs allege Pelletier arrested them at gunpoint in Las Vegas under bogus warrant charges and restrained them in his home. They allege Pelletier kept a list of safe houses for Combs’ infamous parties. The lawsuit involving Pelletier is a civil matter, while the case against Combs is a criminal 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 said.

In addition to the Maui chief strongly denying all the allegations in this suit, 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.”