The jury has reached a verdict on all counts in the Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial.
Combs was found guilty on count three, the transportation of ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura to engage in prostitution. He was also found guilty on count five, the transportation of former girlfriend “Jane” for the same purposes.
Combs was found not guilty on count one, racketeering conspiracy; count two, the sex trafficking of ex-girlfriend Ventura and count 4, the sex trafficking of Jane.
The defence won three acquittals after he was found not guilty of running a criminal enterprise and two counts of sex trafficking. Combs was only found guilty of the transportation of former girlfriends, Ventura and “Jane.”
After the verdict was read, Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo asked the court to release Combs from federal detention now that he is no longer charged with sex trafficking.
Agnifilo asked that Combs be released on conditional bail to his home in Miami, and offered a $1 million bond. Prosecutor Maurene Comey countered, saying to Judge Subramanian that Combs should remain in jail until sentencing.
Comey also said the government will seek a 20-year maximum sentence for Combs.
“Mr. Agnifilo tried to downplay the significance” of the charges Combs was convicted of, “but the record says otherwise,” the prosecutor said.
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She said the court has heard testimony of years of illegal conduct, transporting sex workers, drug use and attempting to intimidate witnesses.
Comey argued there’s a “real risk that he will flagrantly disregard orders from this court, that he will commit new crimes and that he will attempt to flee justice.”
Subramanian asked the prosecution and defence to each prepare a letter arguing their position on whether Combs should be granted bail.
As court was adjourned, Combs wiped his face, turned and kneeled at his chair with his head bowed in prayer.
His family stood and applauded as Combs faced them before being led out of the court room by authorities. They also cheered for his lawyers as the defence team hugged each other.
Combs will remain in custody as the judge considers the defence’s argument that he should be granted bail and released until his sentencing.
On Tuesday, the jury said that it had reached a verdict on four of five counts against the hip-hop mogul. But the partial decision remained under wraps after jurors were told to keep deliberating because they were stuck on the top charge, racketeering conspiracy.
Prosecutors, Combs’ defence team and Judge Arun Subramanian reasoned that after just two days of deliberations, it was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts. So rather than taking a partial verdict, Subramanian told the jury to continue weighing the remaining charge.
The developments came late Tuesday afternoon, when the jury sent a note saying it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge because there were jurors with “unpersuadable” views on both sides.
But in less than 13 hours of deliberations, the jury did reach a verdict on two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The latter concerns allegations of arranging to fly the women and sex workers across state lines.
Combs has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers contend prosecutors were trying to criminalize Combs’ swinger lifestyle and that, if anything, his conduct amounted to domestic violence, not federal felonies.
Earlier Tuesday, the jury asked to review critical testimony from one of the prosecution’s most important witnesses: the hip-hop mogul’s former longtime girlfriend Cassie, the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura.
The panel of eight men and four women asked for Cassie’s account of Combs beating, kicking and dragging her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 — an assault captured on now-infamous security camera footage.
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
— With files from The Associated Press
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