Sean "Diddy" Combs Sentencing: Key Details to Know
Sean "Diddy" Combs is due to receive sentencing on Friday morning by a federal judge in New York City, following his guilty verdict earlier this year on federal prostitution-related charges.
This article provides a recap of his criminal case: what he was indicted for, the trial events, and potential next steps.
What Charges Was He Convicted On?
In July, following a two-month trial, a panel of jurors found Combs guilty of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was acquitted of the most serious charges against him, racketeering and human trafficking, which carried the potential of a life sentence.
The offenses on which he was convicted each carry a maximum penalty of a decade. Combs had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the trial, will deliver the sentence on Friday, with the hearing set to start at 10am ET in a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan.
Combs, 55, has been held without bail at the Brooklyn detention facility since his apprehension in September last year. Since the verdict, the court has rejected two bail requests from Combs’s legal team, and earlier this week Subramanian also denied a motion to set aside the convictions.
What Was Combs Facing?
Federal prosecutors accused the music executive of leveraging his status and resources, and using violence, threats and blackmail, to coerce two of his former girlfriends into participating in sex parties involving drugs with paid companions. Such events were often referred to by the defendant as “freak-offs”, which prosecutors claimed Combs organized, observed, masturbated to and sometimes filmed.
The government alleged that for over twenty years, Combs operated a illegal operation – aided by employees and associates – to conduct and hide offenses including sex-trafficking, drug dealing, corruption and kidnapping.
Although found guilty on two charges, Combs has denied wrongdoing. His lawyers have insisted that all sexual activity was mutually agreed and that no criminal enterprise existed.
What Transpired At Trial?
The government's case presented more than 30 witnesses, including two of Combs’s former girlfriends – singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a second individual who testified using the alias Jane – who recounted the alleged events in explicit terms, and claimed that Combs pressured and intimidated them into participating.
Ventura was the star prosecution witness. She testified that during her 11-year, on-off relationship with Combs, he exposed her to various forms of mistreatment and to extortion. The jury was shown the 2016 video of Combs attacking Ventura in a hallway. Jane also told the court of a physical confrontation with Combs.
Other witnesses included ex-staff, escorts, police officers, hotel employees and celebrities including rapper Kid Cudi and artist Dawn Richard. Combs chose not to take the stand.
Combs’s defense attorneys acknowledged past instances of abuse, but denied that any force or sex trafficking took place. They argued that all sexual activity was agreed upon and part of a “alternative lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were willing participants in the encounters.
How Much Time Could He Serve?
Combs’s lawyers have asked the judge for a penalty of a maximum of 14 months in jail, which, considering time served, would allow for his release before the end of the year. They claim that Combs has already been “sufficiently penalized” by serving 13 months in the “terrible conditions” at the facility.
Federal prosecutors, however, have sought a minimum of 135 months (11 years and three months) and a $500,000 fine. In legal documents, they portrayed Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his history and characteristics show a pattern of misconduct.
What Was Said In Victim Impact Statements?
The government submitted multiple statements from victims to the court ahead of sentencing, including one from Ventura.
“Although the jurors did not seem to understand or believe that I participated in freak-offs because of the pressure and intimidation the defendant used against me, I know that is the truth, and his punishment should reflect the truth of the testimony and my personal experience as a survivor,” Ventura stated.
“I am so scared that if he is released, his initial steps will be immediate revenge towards me and other individuals who testified about his abuse, at trial,” she said.
“If there is one thing I have learned from this ordeal, it is that those affected will never be secure,” she added. “I hope that your ruling considers the facts at hand that the jury overlooked.”
What Happens After Sentencing?
Following the court's decision, Combs’s legal team could appeal against the sentence. Combs’s team is also expected to appeal his verdict.
Additionally, Combs is confronting numerous civil cases alleging of misconduct and other misconduct. He has disputed all allegations in those suits.