(NewsNation) — The Metropolitan Detention Center, the prison where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Luigi Mangione are being held, is partially locked down due to a “race riot.”
“Phones are probably shut down… you’ll basically be on your bed all day,” Gene Borello, a former Mob enforcer and MDC inmate, told NewsNation.
Why is Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ and Luigi Mangione’s prison locked down?
According to the Daily Mail, a “race riot” involving over 40 inmates caused this lockdown.
The jail is on what is called a “modified operation,” which means 23-hour lockdowns for all inmates. This includes Diddy and Mangione.
“There’s no movement in the building… Just get your meals, and that’s it,” Borello told NewsNation.
Officials with the Federal Bureau of Prison confirmed to DailyMail.com that ‘multiple’ inmates ‘were observed fighting’ at the Brooklyn facility on February 22.
Federal Bureau of Prison officials told the Daily Mail that “multiple” inmates were found fighting at the prison on Feb. 22. They also said that inmates did sustain injuries, however, no jail employees were injured. It has been reported that Combs and Mangione were not part of the riot.
There is no word on how long this partial lockdown could last. “I’ve seen it go on for a month… it’s a security risk,” Borello said
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs case
Combs is currently awaiting a criminal trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He is also facing other sexual assault lawsuits, many of which were filed by Tony Buzbee.
Buzbee says his firm is representing over 150 people, both men and women, who have accused Combs of sexual abuse and exploitation.
Combs continues to defend himself, even as more alleged victims come forward, according to USA TODAY. Combs’ lawyers are now saying that his federal indictment is based on a “racist” law.
One lawsuit was withdrawn against Diddy and rapper Jay-Z that claimed a woman was raped by them when she was 13 years old. The court documents did not explain why the Alabama woman withdrew the lawsuit.
Luigi Mangione case
Mangione is currently awaiting trial for the killing of Brian Thompson, the former UnitedHealthcare CEO. Mangione allegedly arrived in New York City days before the shooting.
Police said that on the morning of the shooting, Mangione was fully masked and wearing a hood before shooting Thompson near the Hilton Hotel. Thompson was shot in the back and the leg and later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
After searching for days, Mangione was arrested by police at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was denied bail in December and pleaded not guilty in the case.
He allegedly wrote a manifesto that talked about the insurance industry. “Frankly, these parasites had it coming,” the manifesto stated. It also spoke directly to the federal agents in the case.
“To the Feds, I’ll keep his short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone.”
According to NewsNation local affiliate WPIX, the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were written on the shell casings found at the scene. UnitedHealthcare has the highest claim denial rate among insurance companies as of Dec. 2024. The company rejects 32% of submitted claims compared to the industry average of 16%.
According to Newsweek, his next court date is scheduled for March 19.