Sean “Diddy” Combs has been convicted of unlawful prostitution however acquitted of meatier sex-trafficking and racketeering expenses, a major authorized victory for the disgraced rap mogul who confronted as much as life in jail if discovered responsible on all counts.
What’s subsequent for Combs? Following the verdict on Wednesday (July 2), there shall be a prolonged course of earlier than Decide Arun Subramanian decides the rapper’s sentence. He’ll be interviewed by the U.S. Probation Division, which can calculate urged sentencing tips based mostly on numerous components like Combs’ prison historical past and the seriousness of his offense.
After this course of, which may take months, Decide Subramanian will maintain a sentencing listening to. The costs that Combs was discovered responsible of – transporting escorts throughout state strains for marathon intercourse events known as “freak-offs” – carry no obligatory minimal and a most sentence of 20 years in jail.
Combs confronted a far lengthier prison term if he’d been convicted on the opposite expenses he confronted: forcing girls to have intercourse with escorts through the freak-offs, and working a prison syndicate below the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
If Combs had been convicted below RICO along with the prostitution cost, he’d face a most of 40 years behind bars. If he had been discovered responsible of sex-trafficking, he confronted a minimal sentence of 15 years in jail and most of life behind bars.
Because it stands, Combs protection lawyer Marc Agnifilo mentioned Wednesday that the rapper ought to be instantly launched from the pretrial jail the place he’s been in custody since his arrest final yr.
Agnifilo mentioned Combs has “been given his life by this jury” and ought to be allowed to await sentencing from his house in Miami, based on CNN. Prosecutor Maureen Comey opposed the request, saying her workplace intends to hunt jail time and noting that Combs “continued to commit a litany of crimes” after he knew he was below investigation final yr.
Decide Subramanian requested either side to submit letters on the matter by this afternoon and mentioned he’ll decide afterwards about whether or not Combs shall be launched.