nantucket drug yacht

Guns, Drugs, And Prostitutes: Police Raid Yacht In Nantucket Harbor

Jason Graziadei and David Creed • Sep 05, 2023

A 70-foot motor yacht anchored in Nantucket Harbor was raided by Nantucket Police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Tuesday after a woman was evacuated from the vessel and taken to an ambulance waiting at the town pier.

The owner of the yacht, a retired physician, has been arrested and sources with knowledge of the investigation told the Current that authorities discovered guns, drugs, and prostitutes aboard the vessel.

The motor yacht Jess Conn , out of Georgetown in the Cayman Islands, was anchored in the horse shed area of Nantucket Harbor Tuesday morning when the woman was taken off the boat with the assistance of Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey and Nantucket Fire Department EMTs. The vessel was later boarded by personnel from U.S. Coast Guard Station Brant Point and a DEA special agent, who were assisting the Nantucket Police Department with the ongoing investigation

The owner of the yacht, Scott Anthony Burke, 69, of Key Largo, Fla., was taken into custody Tuesday morning and is now facing drug trafficking and weapons charges related to the incident and subsequent search of the yacht. He will be arraigned in Nantucket District Court on Monday, Sept. 11.

The initial response to the vessel was due to a "report of a female party, on board a yacht, who did not want to be there, was under the influence of narcotics, and possibly has overdosed," according to a police report.

Investigators, including a DEA special agent, boarded and searched the Jess Conn at 3:25 p.m., according to court documents obtained by the Current . They confiscated 43.4 grams of cocaine, 14.1 grams of ketamine, and two pistols - a .380 Smith  Wesson Shield and a 9mm Smith & Wesson - along with various ammunition.

After being read his Miranda rights following the initial boarding of the vessel Tuesday morning, Burke told police he was the owner of the boat, that the pistols belonged to him, and that he had a license to carry firearms. Police determined that Burke had a license to carry in Florida which had expired in September 2022. 

On Wednesday morning, Nantucket Police Department Lt. AngusMacVicar shared a press release that stated Burke was initially charged with two counts of possession of a firearm without a license before the search of the yacht resulted in additional charges against him.

"The Nantucket Police Department and the DEA Cape Cod Resident Office continued an investigation and Burke was additionally charged with 1 count of Trafficking in Class B, 1 count of Possession to Distribute Class A, 1 count of Possession of a Firearm without a License, 1 count of Possession of Ammunition without a License and 4 Counts of Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device," the press released stated. "This case remains under investigation at this time."

Burke is a retired physician who practiced in Colorado and founded Denver Spine and Rehab. He is currently is the CEO of Injury Finance, LLC, which provides medical lien services for third-party liability claims.

Harbormaster Sheila Lucey said the initial call Tuesday morning was for a “wellness check” on a woman, but she declined to share any further details.

Coast Guard Station Brant Point’s executive petty officer Jeff Wecal said his crew was involved in assisting the Nantucket Police Department’s investigation and referred all inquiries to NPD.

The Jess Conn arrived in Nantucket Harbor on Aug. 23 after a voyage from Newport, Rhode Island.

The yacht was recently photographed by PowerYachtBlog.com  after it ran aground in May in Florida, but escaped without significant damage.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story.

The Nantucket Police Department issued the following press release about the investigation and charges Wednesday morning:

The Nordhavn 80 yacht was built in China and completed in 2021 . See a video tour of the vessel below:

Current News

Retired doctor arrested on drug, gun charges on yacht off Nantucket, report says

• Updated: Sep. 07, 2023, 8:36 a.m. |
• Published: Sep. 06, 2023, 3:48 p.m.
• Irene Rotondo | [email protected]

What began as a woman’s medical situation on a yacht in Nantucket Harbor Tuesday morning devolved into a Florida man’s arrest by DEA and local police for gun and drug charges, according to the Nantucket Police Department .

At 7:47 a.m. on Sept. 5, the island’s police department got a call that a woman needed medical help on a boat in the Nantucket Harbor, police said. Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Harbor Master’s Office and the fire department responded to what the Nantucket Current described as a 70-foot yacht named Jess Conn .

The woman was found on the yacht and brought to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, police said. Harbormaster Sheila Lucey told the Current the initial call for the woman’s medical situation was for a “wellness check,” and her condition is unclear at this time.

• Read more: Coast Guard helps get sick Carnival Cruise passenger to hospital

The owner of the yacht, identified as Scott A. Burke, of Key Largo, Florida, was also found on the boat with the woman, police said. He was initially arrested on two counts of possessing a firearm without a license, police said.

But after what the Current described as a “raid” on the 70-foot yacht, Burke now faces charges related to drug trafficking, possession and distribution following an investigation by the police department and the DEA Cape Cod Resident Office, police said.

The Florida’s man full list of additional charges are: one count of trafficking Class B narcotics; one count of possession to distribute Class A narcotics; one count each of possession of a firearm and of ammunition, both without licenses; and four counts of possession of a large capacity feeding device, the department stated.

• Read more: U.S. Sens. Warren, Markey back Mass.’ push for Cape Cod bridge funding

The Nantucket Current reported Burke is a former Colorado doctor, founded Denver Spine and Rehab and is the current CEO of Injury Finance, LLC, which gives medical claim services for third-party liability claims.

The Jess Conn had arrived in the harbor from Rhode Island about three weeks ago, on Aug. 23, the Current said. It had recently run aground in Florida in May, but wasn’t significantly damaged, the outlet stated.

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Doctor arrested on gun and drug charges held on $200,000 bail as details emerge in Nantucket yacht case

PLYMOUTH — A retired doctor who was arrested Tuesday on his yacht in Nantucket Harbor on drug and gun charges was ordered held on $200,000 bail as details about the circumstances on board the luxury vessel emerged in court.

Scott Anthony Burke, 69, of Key Largo, Fla., appeared in Plymouth District Court for a detention hearing Thursday, two days after authorities boarded his 80-foot yacht, the Jess Conn, after receiving a call about a woman who had possibly overdosed and wanted to leave the vessel, records show.

During the hearing, Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Michael Preble said a “third party” called police Tuesday morning about the young woman. When officers arrived, she was in Burke’s bedroom and “appeared to be under the influence of some substance,” authorities said.

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As the woman was given medical care and taken to a hospital, officers in the bedroom saw a black semi-automatic handgun sitting “in plain view,” Preble said. Officers also found a “short-barreled rifle,” he said. Burke said he was licensed to carry guns in Florida but officers learned that his license expired last year, according to police.

Officers also found a pink bag with “a white powdery substance” believed to be ketamine and “additional packages” containing drugs, Preble said. After obtaining a search warrant, police found a total of more than 43 grams of cocaine and 14 grams of ketamine, he said.

Burke is charged with cocaine trafficking, possession to distribute ketamine, illegal gun possession, and possession of a large capacity feeding device, records show.

Preble had asked that Burke be held without bail, citing concerns about the woman as well as the volume of drugs and the two weapons. Burke has no ties to Massachusetts and could pose a flight risk, Preble said. While his primary residence is in Key Largo, his yacht is “ultimately” where he lives, Preble said.

“I recognize he has no [criminal] record but I would suggest ... based on the drugs, the firearms, as well as the young person involved, that he is a danger,” Preble said.

Authorities have not identified the woman or said how old she is.

Hank Brennan, a lawyer for Burke, said the woman is a friend of the ship’s captain and had been hired to work on the yacht as a server. Burke had more than a dozen guests on the yacht in the week leading up to Tuesday, including guests invited by crew members, Brennan said.

Members of the crew left the yacht to attend a wedding last weekend, and the woman asked if she could stay on board for a couple of days until they returned, Brennan said in an interview after the hearing.

Burke agreed she could stay, and Brennan said a “disgruntled ex-boyfriend,” upset she had stayed on the vessel, called police so they would search the yacht.

“Now he is paying the price for being kind,” Brennan said after the hearing.

Brennan said Burke was not aware his gun license had expired, something he called an “administrative oversight.” Brennan stressed that Burke does not use drugs and does not sell them.

“Someone else using drugs on his boat is not a crime,” Brennan said after the hearing. He said he expected Burke will be able to post bail “imminently.”

In court, Brennan said Burke was a successful surgeon for 35 years and described him as a “humanitarian” who has traveled to Haiti and Rwanda to provide medical services to people in need. Brennan said his client has given “an enormous portion” of his wealth away through donations to colleges and scholarship programs.

“There is a lifetime history of a humanitarian nature that shows the character of this man,” Brennan said.

Burke was first licensed to practice medicine in Colorado in 1981. His license in that state expired in 2021, according to Colorado Board of Medicine records.

About 20 years ago, he founded a Denver-based company, Injury Finance, according to its website . The company describes itself as “the industry leader in medical funding,” which was “created to serve an uninsured and under-insured population in need of medical treatment.”

The company said this week that Burke currently has “no affiliation” with it.

According to Marine Traffic, a site that monitors vessel locations across the globe, the Jess Conn arrived on Nantucket on Aug. 23 from Newport.

A Nordhavn yacht, the boat flies a Cayman Islands flag, signifying that it’s registered there, and was built in 2021, according to the site.

Travis Andersen can be reached at [email protected] . Nick Stoico can be reached at [email protected] .

CEO Arrested On Luxury Yacht After Woman Told Police She Did Not Feel Safe Onboard

Crime fellow

A CEO of a Colorado-based medical insurance company was arrested on his 70-foot yacht in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on suspicion of gun and drug charges after police responded to a report of a distressed woman.

Scott Burke, 69, was arrested onboard his vessel Wednesday morning after a woman who “possibly overdosed” called police to say she “did not want to be there,” according to court documents obtained by HuffPost. He faces 10 charges, including possessing a firearm without a license and drug trafficking, police said.

According to the Boston Globe, Burke pleaded not guilty and is being held on $200,000 bail.

According to the charging document, Burke greeted officers who arrived to his yacht and led them into his bedroom, where officers found the woman, who appeared to be under the influence and told officers she “did not feel safe.”

The woman was taken to local hospital for treatment.

Police said they discovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun in plain view along with a pink plastic bag containing a white substance they believed was cocaine.

Burke allegedly told officers that there was a second firearm on top of a bookshelf, adding that he had a license to carry. Further investigation found that his license expired last year, police said.

Investigators who then searched the vessel found approximately 43.4 grams of cocaine along with 14.1 grams of ketamine and assorted ammunition, authorities said.

According to Burke’s LinkedIn profile, he retired from his Denver-based physical rehab practice, which he founded in 1985. He later founded and became CEO of a chain injury insurance company that provides medical lien services for third-party liability claims.

Burke’s firm did not respond to a HuffPost request for comment.

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DEA Raid On Retiree's Yacht Finds Drugs, Guns and Sex Workers On Board

The owner, scott anthony burke, has been arrested..

On Tuesday, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided a 70-foot yacht, the Jess Conn , anchored in Nantucket and reportedly found drugs, guns and sex workers on board. According to the Nantucket Current , they were tipped off after local police received a “report of a female party, on board a yacht , who did not want to be there, was under the influence of narcotics, and possibly has overdosed.”

The harbormaster and Nantucket Fire Department EMTs were reportedly able to get her off the boat and to a local hospital for treatment. A further search of the Jess Conn turned up 43.4 grams of cocaine, 14.1 grams of ketamine and two Smith & Wesson pistols. The owner, Scott Anthony Burke, a retired doctor from Key West, Florida, was arrested.

According to the police report, “The Nantucket Police Department and the DEA Cape Cod Resident Office continued an investigation and Burke was additionally charged with 1 count of Trafficking in Class B, 1 count of Possession to Distribute Class A, 1 count of Possession of a Firearm without a License, 1 count of Possession of Ammunition without a License and 4 Counts of Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device.”

Currently, there are no updates on the condition of the woman who was taken to the hospital, but in situations like this, no news is often good news. Hopefully, she’ll be back on her feet quickly. As for Burke, those drug trafficking and weapons charges probably won’t be easy to get out of. Then again, he’s rich enough to own a $7.5 million Nordhavn 80 , so he’s clearly got enough money to hire some expensive lawyers. Who knows? Maybe they’ll be able to negotiate it down to a fine and a few hours of community service.

On an unrelated note, back in early May, the Jess Conn was photographed in the Florida Keys after it temporarily ran aground .

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Cocaine, Ketamine and Guns Found on Yacht in Nantucket Harbor

A wellness check on a woman led police to arrest the owner of a yacht anchored in Nantucket Harbor after authorities say they found cocaine, ketamine and guns on board.

Officers from Nantucket Police, the Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration raided M/Y Jess Conn and arrested its owner, Scott Anthony Burke, according to a story in the Nantucket Current . According to the newspaper, police first went to the yacht because of what the police report described as “a female party, on board a yacht, who did not want to be there, was under the influence of narcotics, and possibly has overdosed.” Authorities confiscated 43.4 grams of cocaine, 14.1 grams of ketamine, two pistols – a .380 Smith & Wesson Shield and a 9mm Smith & Wesson – and ammunition.

“The Nantucket Police Department and the DEA Cape Cod Resident Office continued an investigation and Burke was additionally charged with 1 count of Trafficking in Class B, 1 count of Possession to Distribute Class A, 1 count of Possession of a Firearm without a License, 1 count of Possession of Ammunition without a License and 4 Counts of Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device,” the department told the newspaper in a press release. “This case remains under investigation at this time.”

Burke, 69, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Nantucket District Court. The newspaper identified Burke as a resident of Key Largo, Fla., a retired physician and the current CEO of Injury Finance, LLC, which provides medical lien services for third-party liability claims.

M/Y Jess Conn is a 70-foot Nordhavn built in 2021 and registered in the Cayman Islands. In May, it ran aground in Florida, according to reports , but was not seriously damaged.

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Party yacht doc scott burke, who was busted with drugs, guns and ‘prostitutes,’ has terminal cancer.

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The retired surgeon whose party yacht was busted in Nantucket Harbor last week with guns, drugs and alleged prostitutes aboard has stage 4 terminal cancer and is not expected to live much longer, his attorney revealed.

Scott Burke, 69, was described as a good citizen and a humanitarian who is living out his last days with late-stage cancer by defense attorney Henry Brennan.

The lawyer spoke last Thursday during a pretrial hearing, where he successfully argued against jailing his client.

“To have this man potentially spend the rest of his life waiting for a case in jail, to me, would be very, very tragic,” Brennan told Nantucket District Judge James Sullivan, according to the Nantucket Current .

Although Brennan declined to say what type of cancer Burke has “out of respect,” a captain working in the harbor told The Post he previously gave a ride to two people delivering “cancer medication” to Burke’s 80-foot vessel, the Jess Conn, the day after the doctor was arrested last Tuesday.

“I took out somebody who claimed to be a friend of the owner. He claimed to be bringing somebody — and I now know it’s the owner — his cancer medication to him,” said the captain, who asked to remain anonymous.

The captain also noted the people he gave a ride to then appeared to return with “more stuff than they went out with.”

Brennan said Burke, a Florida resident, had brought his vessell to Nantucket harbor and held a party with more than a dozen guests after which he was waiting for the ship’s captain to return from a wedding in order to depart when the trouble happened.

“The party was over and people went back their own ways. [Burke] was waiting for the captain to return. The young woman, who was actually a friend of the captain and on staff, asked to stay a few extra days.”

Her clarified to The Post monday that Burke is planning on heading back to Florida as soon as he can, saying: “He has a large boat and there’s a process for moving it, including obtaining a captain and a crew. It is his intention to return to Florida to be with his family.” 

Along with revealing Burke’s medical condition, Brennan told the court the surgeon and father of two was among those who volunteered in Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquakes and that he completed more than 110 surgeries there.

The lawyer also claimed Burke has given away the vast majority of his wealth to colleges and scholarships, all while asking for nothing in return.

Given his terminal diagnosis, charity work and lack of a criminal record, Brennan pushed for Burke’s release on bail, which the judge agreed to, setting his bond at $200,000.

However, the judge said he had trouble reconciling the character painted by Brennan and the crimes Burke is charged with.

Sullivan said: “The amount of cocaine is where the court has a tough time justifying or connecting the two versions of Mr. Burke.

“Obviously, he has a substantial history in terms of his employment and in terms of the aid that he’s rendered to numerous people in his career as a physician. I’m then somewhat puzzled how we get from there to a boat in Nantucket Harbor with cocaine in it.”

Burke has since posted bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility, walking free over the weekend. His vessel, which is also said to be his primary residence, remained in the Nantucket Harbor on Monday morning.

At least three men were spotted aboard the Jess Conn, who waved at Post reporters, but remained silent.

Police raided Burke’s ship last week after a they received a call that a woman was overdosing on drugs and wanted to be taken off the boat.

Responding officers found several guns onboard — along with 43 grams of cocaine and 14 grams of ketamine, according to police reports. The Nantucket Current also reported a number of women who were on the boat were prostitutes.

Brennan pushed back against those claims, noting no charges related to prostiution had been brought in the case.

“There’s not even a hint, not even a mention … of prostitution or sex trafficking,” Brennan said, adding: “It’s an abuse of his reputation that can never get taken back.”

Residents in the area also told the post a fight erupted between two women right before authorities got to the vessel.

Another boat captain who asked to remain anonymous told The Post he also took a passenger he described as “25, 30 years old. Thin, with dark hair,” to the Jess Conn last Wednesday afternoon, the day after the arrests. She said she wanted to get her stuff off the boat.

“I thought she was a deckhand on the boat is what I assumed,” the second boat captain said, adding “she needed to get her stuff off the boat but the Coast Guard said no one could go on [board].”

“It’s kind of shocking to know that kind of s—t went down,” he added of the alleged crimes that have rocked the small Nantucket community.

Burke faces drug and weapons trafficking charges and was arraigned at Plymouth District Court. He has pleaded not guilty.

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Cops allegedly find prostitutes, drugs, guns in Nantucket yacht raid

Scott Anthony Burke, a retired doctor, was arrested Tuesday after local police reportedly found prostitutes, drugs, and guns on his yacht in Nantucket.

According to  a press release by the Nantucket Police Department, Burke, age 69, was arrested after the police department received reports that a woman on his yacht needed “medical assistance.”

“The owner of the boat was arrested by Nantucket Police Department for 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm without a license,” the press release stated.

The press release explained that after the Nantucket Police Department and the DEA Cape Code Resident Office continued their investigation, the retired doctor was also charged with one count of Possession to Distribute Class A, one count of Possession of a Firearm without a License, one count of Trafficking in Class B, 1 Count of Possession of Ammunition without a License, and 4 Counts of Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device.

According to  the Boston Globe, court records claim that police discovered multiple guns, ketamine, and cocaine on Burke’s yacht, the “Jess Conn.” Officials have announced that the incident is currently “under investigation.”

READ MORE: Army doctor accused in massive sexual assault case

According to the police report, the woman in need of medical assistance on Burke’s yacht “did not want to be there, was under the influence of narcotics, and possibly [had] overdosed.”

After police officers boarded Burke’s yacht, the retired doctor reportedly guided the police to a bedroom where the woman “appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance” and “stated that she did not feel safe.”

The woman was transported to Nantucket Cottage Hospital for medical treatment; however, her current condition has not yet been released.

According to  the Nantucket Current, law enforcement also discovered prostitutes located on Burke’s yacht. Additionally, The New York Post  reported  that police discovered 14 grams of ketamine, 43 grams of cocaine, a .380 pistol, a 12-round magazine in a 9mm pistol, and three 30-round 9mm magazines.

The New York Post reported that Burke ran a spine and rehabilitation clinic before retiring from the medical field. The retired doctor also reportedly launched a medical insurance company called Injury Finance.

Burke is expected to be arraigned in relation to his various charges in Nantucket District Court next week.

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Yacht owner held on $200,000 bail after woman rescued in Nantucket Harbor

A n investigation that followed the rescue of a woman in medical distress from a yacht anchored in Nantucket Harbor led to several gun and drug charges for the boat's owner, police said.

According to the Nantucket Police Department , the incident began at 7:47 a.m. on Tuesday with a report of a woman in need of medical assistance.

A criminal complaint filed by an officer of the Nantucket Police Department specifies that they responded to a report of a woman who "did not want to be there, was under the influence of narcotics and possibly has overdosed."

When officers and the Coast Guard met the woman inside a bedroom aboard the 80-foot Jess Con, they noted the woman appeared to be intoxicated and she "stated that she did not feel safe."

Help from the Nantucket Harbor Master's Office, U.S. Coast Guard and Nantucket Fire Department was mobilized, and they brought the woman to Nantucket Cottage Hospital.

In the bedroom, officers also noted a firearm in plain view and a "pink plastic baggie containing a white powdery substance" believed to be cocaine. Police later determined the gun was loaded and had a round in the chamber.

The owner of the yacht was identified as Scott Burke, 69, of Key Largo, Florida, and Nantucket police arrested him for two counts of possession of a firearm without a license.

According to the complaint, Burke told officers he was licensed to carry a firearm but the investigation revealed that his license was issued in Florida and expired in 2022.

Subsequent investigation involving police and the Drug Enforcement Administration led to additional charges of trafficking, possession to distribute, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a license and four counts of possession of a large capacity feeding device.

Photos of a Coast Guard patrol boat tied to Burke's yacht in the harbor were shared by the Nantucket Current.

During a court hearing held Thursday, Burke's cash bail was set at $200,000 in this case. He is scheduled to return to a courtroom on Oct. 2 for a probable cause hearing.

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X-rated party allegations emerge in Nantucket yacht party that landed retired doctor in jail

Scott anthony burke was arrested aboard luxe 80-foot yacht on drug, gun charges.

Scott Anthony Burke’s yacht is loaded and prepared to be moved

Burke is facing gun and drug charges, related to an incident on his yacht in Nantucket. (Nantucket Current)

A wild Nantucket yacht party allegedly involved "pornographic" filmmaking and a long, drug-fueled weekend, according to a search warrant for the 80-foot Jess Conn luxury Nordhavn yacht that served as a backdrop for the entire fiasco.

The ordeal left 69-year-old retired Dr. Scott Anthony Burke facing a slew of gun and drug charges. He has terminal cancer and was released on $200,000 bail.

The court documents, obtained by Fox News Digital, allege that a Texas man called Nantucket police to report a woman's possible overdose aboard the $7.5 million vessel after she passed out in the middle of a FaceTime call on Sept 5.

RETIRED DOC BUSTED WITH DRUGS, GUNS AND WOMEN ABOARD 80-FOOT PARTY YACHT OFF NANTUCKET HAS TERMINAL CANCER

Scott Anthony Burke’s yacht is prepared to be moved in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Burke is facing gun and drug charges, relating to an incident on his yacht. (Nantucket Current)

He said to the dispatcher that the woman told him "they were doing drugs all weekend long and people on the boat had been making pornographic films," according to the filing.

The warrant did not contain any more details about the alleged films, but it did revealed police found bags of "blue pills" in Burke's bedroom on a bookcase near where police encountered the woman after boarding. Separately, they found cocaine, ketamine and handguns the doctor is accused of illegally carrying in Massachusetts .

Police alleged the retiree was "extremely uncooperative" before they handcuffed him and read his Miranda rights.

FLORIDA MAN BUSTED WITH GUNS, DRUGS AND ‘PROSTITUTES’ IN LUXE NANTUCKET YACHT RAID

Dr. Scott Anthony Burke lowers his head in a Massachusetts court during a Sept. 7 bail hearing on a dozen drug and gun charges. He was released on $200,000 bail. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

He allegedly waived his right to remain silent, denied any knowledge of narcotics on his boat and told police he had a license for the handguns they found.

However, according to police, they found cocaine in various parts of the ship, including 30 grams in a safe. Additionally, his Florida permit was both expired and invalid in Massachusetts, according to the warrant. 

As for the victim, court documents identified her as 33-year-old crew member who denied any knowledge of narcotics aboard the vessel. She was taken to the Nantucket Cottage Hospital, according to police. One of her friends was also on the yacht and told police she had left prescription Adderall pills on board. 

"I've heard these stories about prostitution and sex trafficking, and if you look at every report by the government, they never even suggested that," Burke's attorney, Hank Brennan, told Fox News Digital. "These claims come out of totally thin air, fires and catfights, zero evidence of that. It's fabricated."

He called the suggestion that the crew member may have been involved in prostitution "demeaning" and "sexist."

"I don't even know her, but I don't need to defend her," he said. "If there was evidence of wrongdoing, you bet that the government would have put it in there, because you can read from the reports, much of the embellishments trying to create an image that really isn't factually based."

Dr. Scott Anthony Burke, right, poses with his family on the back of his luxury yacht, the Jess Conn. (Tony Burkenstock/Facebook)

Burke has terminal cancer, Brennan said at a bail hearing last week, but he declined to elaborate on his client's condition. He is also a humanitarian who was one of the first international doctors to head to Haiti after a devastating earthquake in 2010, Brennan said.

" If there was something nefarious or sinister, such as prostitution or sex trafficking, it would be found in the police reports," he told Fox News Digital.

He declined to discuss Burke's spirits and condition.

Scott Anthony Burke at a bail hearing in Plymouth District Court. The retired Florida doctor is facing gun and drug charges, related to an incident on his yacht. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

"I'm not inclined to discuss health matters, [but] I think it was a necessary event because the government was looking to take away his liberty and hold him in jail for a pretty routine charge," he said. "So I was compelled to share with the court some reasons why it would be totally unjust."

In all, police allegedly seized more than 40 grams of cocaine and 14 grams of ketamine, along with multiple firearms, magazines and ammunition from the doctor's boat, which left harbor earlier this week.

A source close to the investigation reportedly told the Nantucket Current that authorities also encountered prostitutes on board, but police have not confirmed that claim, and court records do not show any prostitution-related charges against Burke.

Police searched the 80-foot Nordhavn yacht Jess Conn and allegedly recovered a stash of cocaine in a safe, ketamine and unlicensed handguns. Its owner, Dr. Scott Burke, was arrested. (@kitnoble @nantucketcurrent)

"That's certainly not in my press release," Lt. Angus MacVicar, the Nantucket Police Department's public information officer, told Fox News Digital.

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Public records show Burke obtained his medical license in Colorado in 1981. It was last renewed in 2019. He has owned at least two other large vessels over the years, 90 and 58 feet long, also named Jess Conn. 

According to his LinkedIn profile, Burke also founded a medical lien service firm called Injury Finance in 2003 and as a physician specialized in spine rehab and pain. His bio said he retired from active medical practice.

Burke is due back in court next month.

Michael Ruiz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @mikerreports

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Morning Rundown: Alabama killer asks to be executed, Diddy’s son accused in sexual assault lawsuit, thousands of salmon swim to safety after accident

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' son accused of sex assault in lawsuit that also names music mogul as defendant

LOS ANGELES — Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is a subject of a federal sex trafficking investigation , has been named as a defendant in a new lawsuit that alleges his son sexually assaulted a woman while she was working on a yacht the music mogul had chartered for a trip at the end of 2022. 

The allegation is the latest in a wave of lawsuits accusing Combs , 54, of sexual assault, sexual trafficking and engaging in other criminal activity. He has denied all the allegations, calling them sickening.

In the suit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Grace O’Marcaigh alleges that Christian Combs, 26, sexually assaulted her in late December 2022 while she was working on a boat charter that had been “sold as a wholesome family excursion” but turned into a “hedonistic environment.” 

The alleged assault happened just days before Sean Combs hosted a New Year’s Eve yacht party with a long list of celebrity guests . 

Christian Combs is accused of sexual assault, sexual harassment and infliction of emotional distress in the lawsuit. Sean Combs is being sued for premises liability as the person who chartered the yacht and for aiding and abetting his son in the alleged assault. 

Representatives for Christian and Sean Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night. Sean Combs has denied all of the recent allegations against him. 

 “Like father, like son," attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who is representing O’Marcaigh, said Thursday night after the suit was filed. "It gives us no joy or pleasure in filing this suit against Christian Combs who has clearly adopted his father’s pattern and practice of depravity."

In the yacht studio

In her suit, O’Marcaigh alleges that Christian Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her. She included transcriptions of audio clips that she states are evidence of her denying his advances as he gropes her. The suit states that the clips were recorded by a producer in the studio. 

O’Marcaigh, who was 25 at the time of the alleged assault, worked as a steward providing dinner and drink service on the yacht from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and witnessed partying and drug use between a “constant rotation of suspected sex workers” and celebrities, the suit states. She also alleges in the complaint that she suspected bottles of alcohol were laced with drugs because women began to fall over themselves, panic or pass out after just one drink. 

Around Dec. 28, 2022, O’Marcaigh was informed that Christian Combs would be joining the party to record with music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones in the yacht’s makeshift studio, the suit states. 

Christian Combs had been staying on shore at a villa, but often joined his father in the evenings, according to the suit. The woman’s suit alleges that he arrived “heavily intoxicated” and that he paid an inappropriate amount of attention to her. 

Christian then pressured O’Marcaigh to take shots of tequila that she believes he brought onboard, according to the suit.

After she took the shot, O’Marcaigh states in the lawsuit, Christian Combs became aggressive and insisted she drink more. 

O’Marcaigh became fearful and began to feel the effect of the tequila, which she “quickly suspected” had been spiked, the suit states. 

The situation “escalated” as Christian Combs groped O’Marcaigh’s legs, breast, anus and vagina, the suit states. The suit details audio recordings in which it states O’Marcaigh can be heard declining alcohol, saying she had to leave, and telling Christian Combs to stop touching her with what sounds like kissing noises in the background.

The audio was recorded by Jones, the producer who was in the studio during the alleged assault and who has alleged in his own lawsuit that he was required to record Sean Combs “constantly” and had hours of footage in which the music mogul and his staff allegedly engaged in criminal conduct. 

NBC News has heard two clips of audio transcribed in the suit purportedly from the night of Dec. 28, 2022, but has not verified who was recorded. 

“Excuse me, you don’t touch my legs like that. I’ll move my legs where I want to,” O’Marcaigh is heard saying in the recording detailed in the suit. “If I want to do this, then I will. You don’t touch my legs like that.” 

“Listen, you and everybody in the crew,” Christian Combs allegedly replies. 

“I can’t, I have to go down,” O’Marcaigh says. “I have to go down.”

Christian Combs then insists that O’Marcaigh stay with him, but she responds that she cannot unless he makes that request to a crew leader, the suit states, citing the audio recording. 

O’Marcaigh answered this way because she knew “anyone of authority” who could approve the request would be asleep and Christian Combs would not be able to contact them, the suit states. 

“Who can I talk to? I’m going to say I requested you right now,” Christian Combs said, according to the suit.  

“Well, you can take your hand off my ass for the first thing,” O’Marcaigh responded. 

O’Marcaigh then attempted to resume her duties and finish her shift once she was able to leave the studio, the suit states. Christian Combs allegedly found her a short time later and insisted she find him a place to sleep.

She directed him to the yacht cinema, which was used as an extra sleeping area, where he blocked her in, the suit states. 

Christian Combs allegedly began to grope her and took off his clothes. 

“His penis was erect, and he grabbed her arms and was trying to force PLAINTIFF to perform oral sex on him,” the suit states. 

The suit includes photos of bruising on O’Marcaigh’s forearm and alleges it was caused when Christian Combs grabbed her. 

O’Marcaigh fought him off until someone else walked in, according to the suit. 

Since the alleged attack

The alleged assault had a deep impact on O’Marcaigh’s mental health as well as her professional and personal lives, the suit said. When O’Marcaigh complained to the yacht captain the next day, the suit alleges, the captain did not believe her and failed to investigate.

She alleges that the captain retaliated against her until she was terminated in May 2023. 

Her mental health deteriorated, and the woman had anxiety and panic attacks as well as severe suicidal ideations, the suit said. O’Marcaigh alleges that the emotional strain affected her physical health and that she developed an eating disorder and epileptic seizures following the assault. 

She is seeking unspecified damages. 

"I am here to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves and I applaud Grace for being so brave to come forward with her truth," attorney Rodney S. Diggs said of his client. "Hopefully her story will inspire others to come forward."

Allegations and investigation 

O’Marcaigh’s suit is the first to accuse Christian Combs of sexual assault. Since November, his father, Sean Combs, has been accused in lawsuits of sexual assault by four women, which he has repeatedly denied. 

One of those suits has been settled , and the others have not been resolved.  

Jones, a producer who worked for Sean Combs from September 2022 to November 2023, alleged the rapper sexually harassed him, pressured him to engage in sexual acts and forced him to procure sex workers. He said he witnessed Sean Combs giving drinks laced with drugs to people at parties. 

An attorney for Combs said Jones’ “reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.”

On March 25, agents with Homeland Security Investigations searched Sean Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami. A source familiar with the investigation told NBC News that a federal investigation began before this year and that authorities were aware of the layout of Combs’ properties before the raids. 

During the searches last month, federal agents discovered guns and seized his phones as part of a warrant issued from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, law enforcement sources have said. Christian Combs was detained at his father’s Los Angeles home last month when Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant, but he was not arrested. 

Investigators are also looking into allegations of statutory rape against Sean Combs, the source said. 

NBC News previously reported that at least three women and one man have been interviewed by federal investigators in relation to allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault and the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms. 

Aaron Dyer, one of Combs’ attorneys, issued a statement following last month’s property searches and said that Combs “was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.” He described the search as an ambush, saying there’s been a rush to judgment based on “meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” Dyer said. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”

Diana Dasrath reported from Los Angeles and Doha Madani reported from New York.

Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.