Sean “Diddy” Combs will be sentenced on October 3 for his conviction on prostitution-related charges, following a split judgement that saw him cleared of more serious counts.
The music mogul was found not guilty of broad racketeering and sex trafficking charges following a protracted trial in which he was accused of horrific mistreatment.
However, the jury found him guilty of two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, each with a maximum sentence of ten years in jail.
It is improbable that the judge will impose the maximum penalty.
Prosecutors have stated in court files that based on federal sentencing guidelines, a sentence of 51 to 63 months in jail could be fair — but they could also want a longer punishment.
His defence, which is also interpreting federal sentencing guidelines, has indicated that they intend to propose a lighter sentence of 21 to 27 months.
Combs, 55, has been detained at a notorious Brooklyn prison since September 2024, and all of his previous time behind bars will be counted towards his final term.
The jury issued their unexpected judgement on July 2 after only 13 hours of deliberation, following eight weeks of heated testimony and arguments.
During the two-month trial, prosecutors accused Combs of being the head of a decades-long criminal operation, ordering devoted employees and bodyguards to perform a variety of crimes at his command.
However, Combs was acquitted of the racketeering charge, as well as two counts of sex trafficking women with whom he had long-term relationships.
That acquittal prompted his ecstatic defence team to urge that the producer and entrepreneur be released on bail, which Judge Arun Subramanian declined.
Subramanian highlighted Combs’ confessed history of domestic abuse in the judgement – a defence that proved critical in the artist’s acquittal on crucial charges, but at a cost.
Still, the offences on which Combs was convicted are far less serious than racketeering and sex trafficking, which could have resulted in a life sentence.
The judge will take into account both sides’ arguments while deciding on a sentence.
The prosecution will seek a harsher term based on Combs’ known aggression and drug usage, as well as his involvement in the breaches for which he was convicted while he was aware he was being investigated by federal authorities.
Combs‘ defence has argued that he deserves a lesser term since he was providing prostitute services rather than profiting from paid sex.
