NEW YORK (AP) — The jury in the Sean “Diddy†Combs sex trafficking trial convicted him of prostitution-related crime but cleared him of sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Here's what we know about the potential sentence:
Will Combs spend years in prison?
The three-time Grammy award winner was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a violation of a 115-year-old federal law called the Mann Act, named for James Mann, an Illinois congressman.
The law originally prohibited the interstate transport of a woman or girl for “prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose." It was later updated to be gender-neutral and for any sexual activity "for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.â€
In a court filing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey estimated that Combs' sentencing guidelines, which take into account many technical factors, will likely qualify him for a prison term of more than four years. He'll get credit for his time in custody since his arrest in September.
Combs' defense team believes the guidelines will be much lower, around two years. The maximum possible sentence is 10 years in prison, though U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian will have much discretion. He proposed an Oct. 3 sentencing date.
The government said Combs coerced women into abusive sex parties involving hired male sex workers, ensured their compliance with drugs like cocaine and threats to their careers, and silenced victims through blackmail and violence that included kidnapping, arson and beatings.
The jury, however, acquitted Combs of the most serious charges — racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking — which could have carried a sentence of up to life in prison.
What is racketeering conspiracy?
Combs defeated the racketeering charge. Authorities had accused him of running a criminal enterprise that relied on bodyguards, household staff, personal assistants and others in his orbit to facilitate and cover up crimes.
It’s commonly used to , with prosecutors using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, or RICO, to take on the Mafia in the 1970s.
To prove the charge, prosecutors had to show that an enterprise existed and was involved in a pattern of racketeering activity. In this case, the alleged activity included kidnapping, arson, bribery and sex trafficking.
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, portrayed the Bad Boys Records founder as the victim of overzealous prosecutors who exaggerated elements of his lifestyle and recreational drug use to bring charges that resulted in what he called a “fake trial.†He said the women were willing participants.
How long did the jury work?
Deliberations began Monday in late morning.
The panel of eight men and four women sent a note that it had reached a verdict at 9:52 a.m. Wednesday, a day after telling the judge that it was stuck on one of the five charges, racketeering. The judge said Tuesday it was too soon to give up and ordered the jury to return Wednesday to try to reach a unanimous verdict.
Combs pumped his right fist after hearing that he was acquitted of the most serious charges.
What's next?
The judge denied Combs' request to be released on bond while he awaits his sentence, noting that evidence at trial pointed to Combs exhibiting a “yearslong pattern of violence.â€
Subramanian set a July 8 hearing to discuss the sentencing process.
