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Tag: Holmby Hills

  • Armenian Bribery Case Puts Holmby Hills Mansion on Market

    Armenian Bribery Case Puts Holmby Hills Mansion on Market

    A Holmby Hills megamansion owned by a former Armenian politician will be forfeited to the U.S. government and sold off for “the highest obtainable market price,” federal prosecutors said Monday.

    The forfeiture of 530 South Mapleton Drive ends a two-year case involving Gagik Khachatryan and his family in which the Department of Justice alleged bribery money was used to pay for the home.

    It will now be sold with 85 percent of the sale proceeds staying with the government and the remainder going to Khachatryan’s sons and a business they own. Some or all of the U.S. government’s proceeds will be recommended for transfer to the Armenian government, according to a DOJ statement.

    The government’s complaint was originally filed in May 2022 and alleged Khachatryan and his family received more than $20 million in bribes from businessman Sedrak Arustamyan, who sought special tax treatment. Khachatryan previously served as Armenia’s minister of finance for a two-year stint ending in 2016. Prior to that, the ex-politician was chair of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee.

    An FBI Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and U.S. Marshals Service investigation helped bring the matter to court, along with assistance from Armenian prosecutors. A separate criminal case on the matter in Armenia is still pending.

    The more than 30,000-square-foot home sits on 1.2 acres next to the Los Angeles Country Club. It was designed by Richard Landry, the architect often referred to as “King of the Megamansion.”

    The estate has 11 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms. Other highlights include a garage that can fit eight or more vehicles, billiard room, movie theater, two-story library, pools and staff quarters, according to listing sites. 

    Douglas Elliman’s Josh Altman and Tommy Bubonic have the listing, which has an asking price of $39.8 million.

    That’s a haircut from when the home first went up for sale two years ago for $63.5 million and has subsequently bounced on and off the market.

    Read more

    Disgraced Armenian official’s Holmby Hills chateau relists at $40M


    Justice Department wants Armenian ex-politician’s LA mega-mansion


    Kohen Development Lists Spec Home in Holmby Hills for $45M

    Kohen Development lists spec home in Holmby Hills for $45M


    Kari Hamanaka, Christian Bautista

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  • Feds raid Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ homes as part of sex-trafficking inquiry, sources say

    Feds raid Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ homes as part of sex-trafficking inquiry, sources say

    Homeland Security agents conducted searches of Holmby Hills and Miami mansions owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs on Monday as part of a federal inquiry into sex trafficking allegations involving the hip-hop and liquor mogul, law enforcement sources said.

    The 17,000-square-foot mansion where Combs debuted his last album a year ago was flooded with Homeland Security Investigations agents, who served a search warrant and gathered evidence on behalf of an investigation being run by the prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the inquiry.

    “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available,” an HSI spokesman said in a statement.

    Two of Combs’ sons were seen being detained on the Holmby Hills property as agents searched the mansion in footage captured by FOX11 Los Angeles

    Shawn Holley, an attorney for Combs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    A hip-hop star turned entrepreneur, Combs has become the focus of sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations in the last year. The raid is the latest and most serious threat to his gilded lifestyle.

    Four separate plaintiffs have filed civil lawsuits against Combs accusing him of rape, sex trafficking a minor, assault and a litany of other alleged abuses, imperiling his empire and sending shock waves through the music industry.

    Combs, 54, amassed his fortune first as a hip-hop producer, artist and founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, the label that launched the career of the late Notorious B.I.G., among others. He’d later added lucrative fashion and liquor companies to his ventures, most notably Sean John and Cîroc vodka.

    His former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, the singer known as Cassie, accused him of rape and repeated physical assaults, and said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes in front of him. Joi Dickerson-Neal accused Combs in a suit of drugging and raping her in 1991, recording the attack and then distributing the footage without her consent.

    Liza Gardner filed a third suit in which she claimed Combs and Guy singer Aaron Hall sexually assaulted her. Hall could not be reached for comment.

    The most recent suit alleges Combs and former Bad Boy label president Harve Pierre gang-raped and sex-trafficked a 17-year-old girl. Pierre said in a statement the allegations were “disgusting,” “false” and a “desperate attempt for financial gain.”

    Following the filing of the fourth suit, Combs wrote on Instagram, “Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

    On Monday, Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Cassie Ventura and another, unnamed plaintiff, said in response to reports of a search warrant issued on Combs: “We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”

    Richard Winton

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  • Feds raid Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ properties in Los Angeles, Miami

    Feds raid Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ properties in Los Angeles, Miami

    Authorities were conducting a raid inside a multi-million dollar home belonging to rapper and record producer Sean “Diddy” Combs in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of West LA Monday afternoon.

    Homeland Security Investigations executed search warrants at the LA mansion as well as a Miami property belonging to Combs, sources told NBC news.

    The raid may be linked to a possible sex traffic investigation, another source familiar with the matter told NBC News. The source added three Jane Does and one John Doe have been interviewed by the Southern District of New York in relation to sex trafficking, sexual assault, the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms related Combs.

    The source also said another three Jane Does have interviews scheduled.

    Newschopper4 was overhead as officials with protective gear and weapons were surrounding the property. Some of them were wearing jackets that noted they were from Homeland Security Investigations.

    Aerial image from NBC Miami showed federal authorities were surrounding Combs’ Florida property at the same time as the raid in Holmby Hills.

    Video from Miami Los Angeles also showed federal authorities were present at the Florida property at the same time as authorities were raiding the LA mansion.

    “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners,” the Homeland Security confirmed the raid in a statement.

    Combs is facing a lawsuit by a woman, who accused Combs and two other men of raping her 20 years ago in a New York City recording studio when she was 17.

    The woman, whose name wasn’t disclosed in the court filing, is the fourth person to file a lawsuit accusing Combs of sexual assault.

    In the lawsuit, the woman said she was in 11th grade at a high school in a Detroit suburb in 2003, when she met Harve Pierre, then the president of Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment record label, at a lounge.

    She said Pierre flew her to New York on a private jet and took her to a recording studio, where she was given drugs and alcohol until she was incapable of consenting to sex. Then, the lawsuit said, Pierre, Combs and a man she didn’t know took turns raping her.

    The lawsuit included photographs of the woman sitting on Combs’ lap that she said were taken on the night in question at the Daddy’s House Recording Studio.

    Combs, 54, denied the allegations.

    “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” Combs said in a statement. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

    This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

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  • Inside An Epic $40 Million Los Angeles Estate Near The Playboy Mansion And Spelling Manor

    Inside An Epic $40 Million Los Angeles Estate Near The Playboy Mansion And Spelling Manor

    The leafy L.A. neighborhood of Holmby Hills is known for its palatial, castle-like estates, each like its own private resort.

    The latest impressive home to the market is a $40 million European-inspired estate located down the street from the iconic Playboy Mansion and Spelling Manor. Sitting on 1.5 acres, the estate features Old World European-style elegance paired with clean and contemporary interiors. The 20,000-square-foot, three-story home was built in 2019 and took five years to complete—and it’s easy to see why. The entire home is bespoke and constructed with high-end materials and design, including polished stone and hardwood floors throughout.

    “The home has a lot of charm and character to it,” says listing agent Zac Mostame of The Agency, who is co-listing the property with Lea Porter of The Beverly Hills Estates. “Outside of the home it is like going back in time—it’s pure elegance. The interior is brand new, complete with a two-story foyer with a twin glass staircase that curves its way to the second floor and has lots of natural light flowing through the house. It’s truly magnificent.”

    The gated driveway leads to a grand circular motor court, with a fountain and lush colorful flowers. As you walk through the arched stone portico to the foyer, you are welcomed with a stunning double glass staircase. One of the most striking features is the double-height glass-enclosed atrium, which allows natural light to flood inside. Throughout the home there are soaring cathedral ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and open-plan spaces that make each room feel even more spacious. In total, there are seven en-suite bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, plus a detached two-story guest house.

    The main home features a beautiful oversized chef’s kitchen with state-of-the-art Gaggenau appliances with a formal dining table in the next room. There are several fireplaces found throughout the home, including a wood-paneled fireplace that runs the length of the double-height great room. Nearly every room on the main level offers access to the outdoor terraces and gardens.

    The home also features its own bar, billiards or game area, office, and eight-seat movie theater. All of the bedrooms are located on the top floors, including the primary suite, which has a private terrace and spa-like bathroom. Outside, the lush manicured grounds feature many majestic gardens, a pool, Jacuzzi, tennis court, pond, and gym. There is also a 13-car underground garage; two additional staff rooms; and a two-story, four-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,900-square-foot guest house. The vine-covered guest house has curved French-inspired terraces and directly overlooks the pond with fountains.

    The estate is ensconced by tall hedges to keep out prying eyes, as well as mature trees. The property was designed for both large-scale and intimate entertaining inside and out. Listing records show that the home was last on the market in 2021 and listed for $45 million and was once offered for rent at $125,000 per month.

    Holmby Hills is home to some of L.A.’s most expensive and famous homes, including the Playboy Mansion and Spelling Manor down the road.

    Emma Reynolds, Senior Contributor

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