Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs convicted on two federal charges, escapes life sentence in sex trafficking trial

New York: Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been found not guilty of three out of five charges by a New York jury. According to them he has been spared of 3 of the most serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, which may have landed him a lifetime into prison. Diddy is set to receive a sentence of only 10 or less years in prison  as he was convicted on only two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, each carrying a maximum sentence of only 10 years or less in prison. 

According to the information, prosecutors are seeking a four to five year sentence, while the defense has proposed a $1 million bond for his release pending sentencing.

The jury came to a conclusion of the 7 week federal trial marked with emotional and graphical testimony on Wednesday morning as the Judge read the final; verdict on the case. The decision was taken by the jury in 13 hours with eight men and four women attending the meeting. 

The 55-year-old has been found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy, the most serious charge, which could have landed him a life sentence in prison. He was also announced innocent in cases related to sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura and the sex trafficking of "Jane” but was found guilty on transportation to engage in prostitution in both the cases. 

Diddy reportedly remained composed as the verdict was being read and after it was read, as the courtroom erupted with noise from his supporters and non-supporters. After the final reading, the mogul was seen kneeling down in front of his chair, appearing to be praying. Before standing up on his feet, to face the gallery and begin clapping to which the gallery responded by clapping and cheering for the significant win of the case.

Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo and his whole defense team later appealed to Judge Arun Subramanian for the mogul to be released on bail to which he was denied the request for Combs who has been held since September in Brooklyn's federal detention facility to be released.  with the judge calling the request a “disregard for the rule of law and a propensity of violence”. 

Agnifilo further said that the verdict is a great victory for Diddy, for whom the trial started on May 12th. He further said that the jury got the situation ‘right’ as he stressed that the females involved in the “freak offs”  had given consent to the acts as it was a “swingers lifestyle.” They however did acknowledge the past instances of domestic violence of Diddy throughout the case. 

The 7 weeks  long trial saw the call to the stand of two of Diddy’s ex-girlfriends, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura who was a girlfriend to the mogul for 10 years plus and a woman identified as “Jane”. Giving  raw and emotional testimonies to how Diddy had treated them and the physical and psychological “suffering” they had to endure through their relationship with the music mogul saying they couldn’t leave or say no to his demands due to the threats and blackmail he had on them such as claiming he might release sexually explicit videos of them. 

The witnesses called to the stand also included multiple of his former employees, hotel staff, law enforcement agents and public figures such as rapper Kid Cudi and singer Dawn Richard and others who gave their testimonies in account to the case. 

Upon the final verdict, Diddy Combs rose up and said to his family that were present throughout the hearing of the court telling them“ we are going to get through this” and he will see them once he gets out. The sentencing has been proposed by the judge  to be done on October 3rd although the judge made it clear to the defence’s team that the dates can be moved up in accordance to their request.