A federal jury in Manhattan found Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul also known as Diddy or Puff Daddy, guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution. He was found not guilty of one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking.
The jury deliberated for 13 hours before announcing its split decision after the trial, which began on May 5.
Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York failed to convince the jury that their two main witnesses, Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym “Jane,” had not participated consensually in the drug and sex marathons that Combs called “freak offs,” “hotel nights,” or “wild king nights”.
Combs did not testify in his own defense, nor did his team of lawyers present witnesses. Instead, they pointed to hundreds of text messages and social media posts in which Ventura and Jane frequently expressed enthusiasm for these sessions, despite the women later testifying that they felt pressured and manipulated into planning and participating in them. These relationships, the defense team argued, were toxic and perhaps abusive, but did not meet the federal government’s standards for criminality.
The prosecution also failed to prove to the 12-person jury that Combs had led a criminal conspiracy or organized crime syndicate within the racketeering charge. They accused Combs of several crimes related to that charge, including forced labor, bribery, and obstruction of justice. In recent years, federal prosecutors have applied racketeering charges (also known as RICO) quite broadly — and in certain high-profile cases against renowned hip-hop artists, as well as in the widely publicized trial of R&B R. Kelly, who was found guilty of RICO and sex trafficking in 2021. But the prosecutors did not succeed in this case.
A racketeering conviction would have carried the most severe prison sentence for Combs, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The sex trafficking convictions by force, fraud, or coercion — one for Ventura and one for Jane — would each have carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life imprisonment.
The two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — one involving Ventura and male sex workers, and another involving Jane and male sex workers — each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years.
Outside this federal criminal trial, Combs continues to face dozens of civil lawsuits filed by former employees and associates. Ventura, who filed a civil suit against Combs in November 2023, reached a settlement in one day for $20 million. As part of that settlement, Combs admitted no wrongdoing.
At the peak of his career, Combs, a three-time Grammy winner, was at the forefront of bringing hip-hop to the mainstream pop audience — and became the face of the label he co-owned, Bad Boy Records. He also built a related business empire, including the Sean John fashion company, a lucrative promotional partnership with beverage giant Diageo, and a media business that included the once-popular VH1 reality show “Making The Band,” which featured him as an extremely demanding boss who often belittled aspiring employees.
Source: npr.org by Anastasia Tsioulcas