Derrick Lee-Cardello Smith threatens suit
I've received lots of cease-and-desist letters from lawyers, but this is the first time I received one from a felon.
Can you defame someone serving a prison sentence for two rapes?
That’s the question a state and/or federal court in Michigan may soon have to answer, because Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith is threatening to sue me.
Smith, despite being in prison, is pretty litigious, so I think he may even follow through.
The whole thing started in October 2024 when Smith provided me with documents related to his lawsuit against Sean Combs, alleging that Combs raped him in 1997.
Smith provided me with several documents which backed up his claim, including a purported police report from 1997 detailing the assault.
Smith’s story started falling apart when the Detroit Police Department fulfilled my Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by stating they had no documents relating to the alleged rape by Sean Combs of Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith.
By January 2025, I determined that Smith was a fabulist. Later that month, a court dismissed his lawsuit against Combs.
Derrick wasn’t done with me. Last week, he sent another tantalizing email.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Michael Volpe Investigates to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.