The federal jury, made up of eight men and four women from Manhattan, Westchester, and the Bronx, delivered its partial verdict after more than 13 hours of deliberation. Combs, 55, faced up to life in prison had he been convicted on all counts.
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was found guilty Wednesday on two federal counts of transporting individuals for prostitution but acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, following an eight-week trial in Manhattan, New York Times reports.
The federal jury, made up of eight men and four women from Manhattan, Westchester, and the Bronx, delivered its partial verdict after more than 13 hours of deliberation. Combs, 55, faced up to life in prison had he been convicted on all counts.
Combs was convicted under the federal Mann Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years per count. The guilty verdicts were tied to incidents involving two women identified as “Jane” and Casandra Ventura.
Despite the felony convictions, the verdict is seen as a partial legal victory for Combs, who had faced damning allegations from prosecutors.
They described him as the leader of a criminal enterprise who “used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,” allegedly coercing women into sex acts with male prostitutes while he watched and recorded.
The jury found Combs not guilty of sex trafficking both women and not guilty of racketeering conspiracy.
In the courtroom, Combs showed visible emotion as the verdicts were read.
He clasped his hands in prayer, mouthed “thank you” to the jurors, and briefly covered his face before exhaling. He smiled and shook hands with his lawyers, then turned to acknowledge his family with a gesture of gratitude.
Defence attorney Marc Agnifilo acknowledged Combs’ troubled history with drugs and domestic issues but argued the government had exaggerated its case.
“This is his first conviction and it’s a prostitution offense,” Agnifilo said, urging the court to allow Combs to return home to Miami Beach ahead of sentencing. “He’s not a flight risk.”
Combs’s sentencing date has not yet been set.
