After leaving Vegas, Pelletier took over as police chief in Maui in December 2021. Less than two years later, another disaster struck on his watch—the August 8, 2023 Lahaina Fire, which killed 102 people.
Once again, mismanagement accusations piled up. Many pointed to failures in warning systems, evacuation routes blocked by debris—and in some cases, even police officers preventing people from fleeing.
Despite public outrage, Pelletier remained in his position. But now, new allegations have surfaced, and they may finally force him out.
Maui’s mayor is calling for Pelletier’s removal as he now finds himself named in a federal lawsuit—alongside disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
The lawsuit, originally filed in October 2024, took a shocking turn on March 7, when an amended complaint added Pelletier and several other high-profile names, including former NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. and singer Jacquelyn “Jaguar” Wright.
NEW: Maui Police Chief John Pelletier named in Diddy lawsuit, is accused of being a co-conspirator.
Pelletier is accused of being involved in a cover-up for a gang r*pe when he was working as a Las Vegas police captain.
The claims against Pelletier date back to 2018 when he allegedly worked as part of Diddy’s security team.
According to the lawsuit, on March 23, 2018, Shane Pearce—one of the co-defendants—invited plaintiff Ashley Parham to his home after a previous bar altercation. That night, things took a horrifying turn.
Diddy allegedly showed up with an entourage and became enraged over Parham’s comments linking him to Tupac Shakur’s murder. The lawsuit claims he threatened to give her a “Glasgow smile”—a gruesome torture method slicing the mouth open toward the ears, resembling the Joker from The Dark Knight.
Parham was then allegedly gang-raped by Combs and others. She escaped after stabbing Combs in the abdomen and ran screaming for help. Shots were fired in her direction as she fled to a neighbor’s house.
A man dressed as a Contra Costa Sheriff reportedly arrived at the neighbor’s home—but according to Parham, it wasn’t a real deputy. The lawsuit alleges it was John Pelletier posing as an officer.
When Parham told Pelletier she had been brutally raped, he allegedly dismissed her and told her to “find a way to get home.” No medical help. No police report. Nothing.
The complaint further alleges that Pelletier handed the neighbor an envelope, which Parham believed was full of cash. The neighbor took it inside, then returned empty-handed.
Although Parham later filed a police report, the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office refused to release the documents, even under a Freedom of Information Act request. They claim they’ll only provide them under subpoena.
Parham isn’t the only plaintiff making horrifying accusations against Pelletier.
Another pair of plaintiffs—known as John and Jane Doe—claim that Pelletier kidnapped them at gunpoint from their Las Vegas homes. According to the lawsuit, he forced them into a black SUV, saying he was “extraditing” them to California for outstanding warrants. But when they asked to see the warrants, Pelletier allegedly threatened to shoot them if they resisted.
Instead of taking them to jail, the lawsuit claims he transported them to a private home in Las Vegas, where they were restrained. They were later moved to a string of “safe houses” across California. Eventually, they ended up at the location where Parham was allegedly raped.
The lawsuit details how the mother, Jane Doe, was also sexually assaulted by another co-defendant, Ruben Valdez. Her son, John Doe, was reportedly forced to participate in Parham’s assault.
When the mother and son finally escaped, they ran to a neighbor and begged them to call 911. The neighbor refused.
Even when police arrived, the lawsuit claims Pelletier intercepted them, told them there was a “federal drug-trafficking investigation,” and that the victims were “homeless suspects.”
After being handed off to another co-defendant, the two plaintiffs were eventually freed. Without phones or GPS, they drove until they found a police station. But out of fear, they never filed a formal report.
Now, amid the explosive lawsuit, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen has urged the Police Commission to place Pelletier on administrative leave while they investigate.
The Maui Police Department is pushing back. Department spokesperson Alana Pico told MauiNow.com in an email:
“Chief Pelletier has no connections whatsoever to any individuals named in the lawsuit. The allegations suggesting his involvement are entirely unfounded. 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.”
In re: new Plaintiffs John and Jane Doe in Parham v. Combs,
The Plaintiffs allege that they were kidnapped at gunpoint by alleged Diddy coconspirator John Pelletier and transported to his residence, then traveled to California in a convoy that included Kristina Khorram. pic.twitter.com/Vb3qxOMz2w
— 🧑⚖️ The Diddy Docket (@diddydocket) March 8, 2025
While the lawsuit plays out in court, one thing is clear: wherever John Pelletier goes, controversy follows.
