Sean “Diddy” Combs has been cleared of racketeering and sex trafficking in federal court, but is guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Concluding a trial that began in May, in Manhattan’s Federal District Court, the jury determined that Diddy is not guilty of three of the five charges, including racketeering, which carried the heaviest sentence. Each count of transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, NBC News reports. Diddy, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges, still faces numerous civil lawsuits accusing him of various sex crimes. As reported by The New York Times, Diddy, his family, his legal team, and his supporters reacted enthusiastically to today’s verdict.
After reconvening at 5 p.m. today for a bail hearing, Judge Arun Subramanian denied Diddy bail, citing the jury’s conviction of two counts and the documentation of Diddy’s violence in evidence shown in court. Judge Subramanian added that the court will determine the length and details of Diddy’s sentence on October 3. Diddy’s lawyers Marc Agnifilo, Jason Driscoll, Teny Geragos, Alexandra Shapiro, and Brian Steel were present for the decision, as was the disgraced rapper and his family.
“Even if the defendant was solely required to show that he is not a danger to the community, he could not meet that burden. Prior to trial, the court denied bail, and sees no reason to reverse that now. The defense conceded the defendant’s violence,” Judge Subramanian said when denying Diddy bail. “His violence is depicted in the video of Cassie Ventura. The defense admitted, ‘This is a terrible moment, domestic violence is the issue,’ is what she said. It wasn’t only that. There was the London Hotel incident. There was violence after the searches in this case. As to Jane, there was June 2024 – after the searches of Combs’ residences. This evidences a disregard for the law and a propensity for violence.”
The jury began deliberating on Monday, June 30, and the jurors informed Judge Arun Subramanian that they had reached a partial verdict on Tuesday. The jury had been deadlocked on the racketeering conspiracy charge at the heart of the federal government’s case against Diddy, and delivered its final verdict on Wednesday morning. Reporters including Meghan Cuniff and Matthew Russell Lee posted live from the courtroom.
The federal indictment alleged that Diddy has run a criminal enterprise since at least 2008, under which he “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” largely during marathon multi-partner sex sessions the rapper calls “freak-offs.” Diddy and his associates have been accused of drugging women and forcing them to have sex with male sex workers while filming them.
