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Sean “Diddy” Combs has been acquitted of the most serious charges against him, including racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking, but was still found guilty of two federal offenses that could land him in prison for the next two decades.
The jury’s decision, handed down Wednesday in a Manhattan federal court after nearly two months of explosive testimony and graphic allegations, means Combs avoided a life sentence. But with two felony convictions now on his record, the Bad Boy Records founder is far from free.
The Verdict: A Partial Win With Serious Consequences
Combs, 54, was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, a charge under Title 18 of the U.S. Code that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years per count. In total, Combs faces up to 20 years in prison, though sentencing guidelines and judicial discretion could make that number even higher.
If convicted on the racketeering conspiracy charge, which was prosecuted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, Combs would have faced a potential life sentence. The same applied to the two dismissed counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carried mandatory minimums of 15 years each.
The jury, composed of eight men and four women, found Combs not guilty on those three top charges, effectively ruling that prosecutors had failed to meet the standard of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Still, the guilty verdicts on the prostitution-related counts ensure the hip-hop titan will likely serve significant prison time.
A Legal Breakdown: What the Charges Mean
According to prosecutors, Combs was accused of orchestrating a years-long criminal network involving sexual abuse, illicit drug use, coercion, and violent intimidation. Central to their case were so-called “Freak Offs,” bizarre, choreographed sex events that multiple witnesses, including Combs’ former partner, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, testified were designed to control and exploit young women.
At one point, Ventura gave a statement that could sum up most of her testimony in this first of what is expected to be several days: “Every freak-off was directed by Sean.”
Despite the graphic nature of the testimony, the jury ultimately determined that the government failed to prove racketeering and sex trafficking charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
But for the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, the evidence stuck.
Prosecutors said Combs used his vast resources to transport women across state lines for paid sex, sometimes under duress. According to federal law, this crime is separate from trafficking; it doesn’t require coercion, just the intent to engage in commercial sex.
Sentencing Looms: Combs Could Still Serve a Long Term
Former federal prosecutor David Weinstein told NewsNation that while Combs may have dodged a life sentence, he is by no means walking free.
“He’s looking at 15-plus years under the sentencing guideline on each count, and he gets a multiplier for multiple victims,” Weinstein said.
“The judge can run them consecutively, and he might, with an additional multiplying factor, find himself bumping up against 10 on each count,” Weinstein added. “So, for people to say or think that he’s going to get credit time served and walk out of here, I think that’s a pipe dream for the defense.”
In other words, even though the maximum sentence is 10 years per count, the guideline ranges and aggravating factors, such as the number of victims and the severity of the conduct, could lead a judge to impose harsher penalties within the permissible bounds.
Combs’ sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, but legal experts anticipate it will take place within the next 90 days. Until then, Combs remains in federal custody.
Cassie’s Lawyer Speaks Out
Following Wednesday’s verdict, a spokesperson for Casandra Ventura issued a short but pointed statement, saying the former singer was “pleased” that Combs would still face “substantial jail time” despite being acquitted on the most serious counts.
Cassie’s lawsuit last year, which was quietly settled within 24 hours of filing, reopened years-old whispers in the music industry about Combs’ alleged behavior behind closed doors. Her willingness to testify publicly was widely seen as a watershed moment, both for her and for alleged victims of abuse within the entertainment business.