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Sean Combs has been acquitted of intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy fees, the hip-hop mogul dropping to his knees, praying and thanking God after the jury shuffled out of the room Wednesday morning.
Whereas the 55-year-old was acquitted on the extra severe fees, Combs was discovered responsible on lesser felony fees of transportation to have interaction in prostitution. “I’m going residence,” Combs mouthed to his weeping members of the family.
From the second Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura filed her bombshell intercourse trafficking lawsuit in opposition to him in November 2023, which led to his arrest on the identical allegation final September, Combs has adamantly maintained his innocence. Excessive-powered protection attorneys for the Dangerous Boy Information boss didn’t draw back from his brutal and frequent violence in direction of Ventura, however repeatedly emphasised that “home violence isn’t intercourse trafficking.”
Going through life in jail if convicted of racketeering conspiracy, Combs put his hand over his face and bowed his head with aid as the primary “not responsible” rely was learn aloud. His household, who’ve stood by his facet all through, gasped aloud earlier than breaking out into cheers. Because the jury left, Combs clasped his arms and, gesturing in direction of the jury, stated, “Thanks, thanks.”
The prostitution conviction might land Combs in jail for as much as 20 years, with every cost carrying a attainable sentence of as much as 10 years. (He might have confronted as much as life in jail if convicted on the extra severe fees.) Authorized specialists, nevertheless, have famous that the precise sentence may very well be much less extreme, particularly since Combs had no prior felony report. A sentencing date has not but been set.
Extra instantly urgent was Decide Arun Subramanian’s determination on whether or not to remand Combs again into custody or to launch him on bond as he awaits sentencing. Prosecutors raised issues that Combs would “flagrantly disregard orders from this court docket” if launched. They cited proof introduced in the course of the trial that Combs “continued to commit a litany of crimes” — corresponding to alleged abuse and drug use — even after he knew he was below federal investigation.
“That is very, very severe conduct,” stated lead prosecutor, Maurene Comey, who additionally expressed issues that Combs would “commit new crimes” and be a flight threat.
Combs’ attorneys, nevertheless, have argued he needs to be launched immediately on “applicable situations.” Lawyer Marc Agnifilo stated, “Mr. Combs has been given his life by this jury,” including that his shopper can be “nothing in need of a idiot” to violate a court docket order. “He is not going to run afoul of something this court docket imposes on him,” Agnifilo stated.
Subramanian will decide on Combs’ launch later immediately, with each side requested to submit letters to the decide on the matter by 1 p.m. ET.
The decision was learn aloud to a packed courtroom after a bunch of eight males and 4 ladies took 13 hours to deliberate. The panel had largely made up their minds by Tuesday night, telling Subramanian they’d reached verdicts on the intercourse trafficking and transportation to have interaction in prostitution fees associated to Ventura and an ex-girlfriend who testified below the identify “Jane.”
Nonetheless, they stated they have been “unable” to agree on the racketeering conspiracy cost on account of “unpersuadable opinions on each side.” However after Subramanian instructed the jury to proceed deliberating, they returned a last verdict the following day.
The three days of deliberation adopted seven weeks of grueling and emotional testimony from 34 authorities witnesses. Throughout closing arguments final week, lead protection lawyer Marc Agnifilo choked again tears and accused the federal government of unfairly focusing on Combs in a broad overreach of energy. Prosecutors, Agnifilo alleged, used Ventura’s lawsuit as springboard to pry into Combs’ non-public life and slap him with felony statutes based mostly on his untraditional sexual preferences.
In what was described because the busy mogul’s “private time” and “launch,” Combs would movie his girlfriends having days-long sexual encounters with male escorts. He allegedly handled the classes as his private grownup movie units, filling resort rooms with designer candles, choreographing the sequences of occasions, and giving directions on what ought to occur subsequent.
Prosecutors declare Combs saved Ventura and Jane excessive on a buffet of medication, notably ecstasy, and refused to listen to “no” once they tried to keep away from taking part within the freak-offs. In a years-long sample, Combs allegedly manipulated and compelled the ladies to undergo his sexual wishes via bodily power, coercion, and/or threats of monetary hurt and to launch the ladies’s express tapes.
Flipping between outrage and incredulity, Agnifilo made gentle of the so-called “freak-offs” that have been the guts of the federal government’s case in opposition to Combs. “You wish to name it swingers, you wish to name it threesomes, no matter you wish to name it, that’s what it’s. That’s what the proof reveals,” Agnifilo stated of Combs hiring male escorts to have intercourse along with his girlfriends. “He wouldn’t assume in one million years that there’s something incorrect with it.”
The jury appeared to agree, acquitting Combs of intercourse trafficking Ventura and Jane. He was additionally cleared of utilizing a staff of high-ranking staffers, safety members and “younger and keen” private assistants that have been extra akin to foot troopers as a part of a racketeering conspiracy.
Combs appeared assured all through the trial, a lot in order that his high-powered protection staff didn’t placed on any witnesses when presenting their protection. As an alternative, his attorneys learn aloud a collection of texts between Ventura and Combs, the place the R&B singer seemingly expressed eagerness concerning the days-long, drug-fueled encounters. Inside 25 minutes, they rested, assured the proof — or lack thereof — was of their favor.
The federal government claimed that from 2004 up till his September 2024 arrest, Combs was the chief of a racketeering conspiracy that largely revolved round his intercourse life along with his girlfriends. As a part of the enterprise, Combs and his alleged co-conspirators have been accused of finishing up crimes at their boss’ route, together with three separate cases of kidnapping; firebombing Child Cudi’s automobile over the musician’s fling with Ventura; bribing a resort worker with $100,000 to make damning footage of Combs attacking Ventura disappear; witness tampering and drug distribution, amongst others.
All through the alleged racketeering conspiracy, Combs was intercourse trafficking his girlfriends, prosecutors alleged, first with Ventura between 2009 and 2018, after which Jane between January 2021 and September 2024. He allegedly paid for male escorts to fly in from varied cities to affix him in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Turks and Caicos, paying them in money after the boys had intercourse along with his girlfriends.
This isn’t the primary time Combs has emerged victorious from a felony trial the place the load of the regulation appeared stacked in opposition to him. The person who was identified to put on a gold Lazarus chain was going through 15 years in jail over his alleged position in a 1999 nightclub taking pictures — his future ascent to working a billion-dollar empire hanging within the stability. However he walked free in March 2001, hugging his mom Janice exterior a courthouse only a few blocks away from the federal courthouse the place Combs is about to depart.
And though no felony fees have been ever filed, New York Metropolis officers have been pointing fingers at a 22-year-old Combs for his half in selling and overselling a charity basketball sport at Metropolis Faculty of New York in December 1991 the place 9 folks died in a stampede. After issuing apologies and settling a number of civil lawsuits, the tragedy turned a footnote in Combs’ legacy as he went on to discovered his iconic label Dangerous Boy Information in 1993 and uncover The Infamous B.I.G.
Combs nonetheless faces greater than 50 civil lawsuits. Ventura’s lawsuit, which was settled for $20 million inside 24 hours, sparked a tidal wave of comparable allegations from each women and men. The alleged sexual assaults have been sprinkled all through Combs’ three-decade profession starting in 1990 and as not too long ago as July 2024, as fashions, music trade figures, and individuals who had one-off encounters declare Combs preyed on them.
Combs had vehemently denied all accusations of sexual assault. “Mr. Combs has by no means sexually assaulted or intercourse trafficked anybody — man or girl, grownup or minor,” his authorized staff has beforehand stated in an announcement.
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From Rolling Stone US.