A Seattle woman has made a rape claim against magician David Copperfield, law enforcement sources tell FOX News.
The woman told Seattle police the magician raped her while she was in the Bahamas, sources told FOX News. Because the alleged incident happened abroad and the woman did not report it until she returned to the United States, Seattle authorities turned over the case to the FBI.
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Twelve FBI officials raided Copperfield’s Las Vegas warehouse Wednesday, according to a KLAS-TV report. Copperfield apparently stores tricks and memorabilia from around the world. He has called the location the International Museum & Library of the Conjuring Arts.
A Seattle FBI Agent Robbie Burroughs said Thursday that the case was related to one in Washington.
“I can say that there was investigative activity yesterday and yesterday evening in Las Vegas,” Burroughs said, without specifying exactly where the activity took place or who it involved, on Thursday.
“The investigation is related to a Seattle case. The Seattle case is pending and that means we can’t say anything about it.”
Copperfield’s Las Vegas attorney, David Chesnoff, told FOX News that possible sexual abuse claims against the illusionist were false.
“If in fact those are the allegations, unfortunately false allegations are all too often made against famous individuals,” said Chesnoff. “But we are confident the investigation will conclude favorably.”
“We understand there is an investigation, are in touch with the investigators, and are respecting the confidentiality of the investigation,” he said.
The station also that the agents seized a computer hard drive, digital camera system, and nearly $2 million in cash, citing an anonymous source close to the raid.
Copperfield has been a longtime performer at the Hollywood Theater at the MGM Grand casino-hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, where he has performed in six-to-eight week stints several times a year, said MGM Mirage Inc. spokeswoman Yvette Monet.
On Wednesday night, Copperfield performed two regularly scheduled shows, which were at the end of his most recent run, she said, adding he was next scheduled to perform in Jakarta, Indonesia.