Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces uncertain future after partial legal victory on sex charges

The federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs wrapped up this week with a partial victory for the music mogul with jurors finding him guilty of transportation for prostitution, but clearing him of charges that could have kept him behind bars for life.

But the dramatic legal saga that captivated the public and provided a glimpse into the life of one of the nation’s most powerful music figures is far from over. He still faces dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of misconduct and sexual assault.

“This verdict does not make the civil cases go away, where the burden of proof is much lower,” said Dmitry Gorin, a former sex crimes prosecutor and defense attorney. “The criminal case may have been more successful in state court as to what the government actually proved — domestic violence and extortion.”

During the trial, prosecutors portrayed Combs and his associates as operating a mob-style racketeering operation that lured female victims, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship. Once he had gained their interest, prosecutors said Combs used force, threats of force, coercion and drugs to get them to engage in sex acts with male prostitutes while he occasionally watched in gatherings that Combs referred to as “freak-offs.”

The government alleged his company, Bad Boy Entertainment, functioned as a criminal enterprise that threatened and abused women and used members to engage in a litany of crimes including kidnapping, sex trafficking, bribery, arson, forced labor and obstruction of justice. But jurors rejected prosecutors’ assertions, clearing Combs of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and racketeering, which could have carried a life sentence.

How much time Combs will spend behind bars for the prostitution-related conviction remains unknown. He has been in custody since he was first arrested in September.

The jury’s split verdict leaves Combs facing up to 10 years in prison for each of the two counts of prostitution. In a letter to the court seeking to keep him in jail, prosecutors listed sentencing guidelines ranging from 51 to 63 months, or just over five years. The guidelines were based on a variety of enhancements alleging multiple victims, that Combs acted as a “manager or supervisor” for his onetime lover, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, and ex-girlfriend identified only as Jane, during the freak-offs.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said the amount of time Combs serves will depend on whether the judge accepts the government’s enhancements. Those details will be litigated before a sentence is handed down, he said.

“I personally think this is sour grapes by the prosecution because they lost badly on the most serious counts,” Rahmani said. “Combs may be a terrible person, but he’s not guilty of anything but minor prostitution charges. I think he should get time served or close to it.”

Gorin said it’s likely that Combs’ attorneys will push for probation.

“He was found responsible for paying sex workers to travel across state lines, but at the end of the day that is a loss for the government,” he said.

Still, Judge Arun Subramanian has considerable latitude in deciding just how much time Combs will serve. Regardless of the length of the sentence, Combs will be required to serve at least 85% of his term because he was convicted of federal charges. Defendants convicted of felonies in state cases often only serve about 50% of the time they were sentenced when they’re given credit for good behavior.

So far, Subramanian hasn’t gone easy on the celebrity.

He ruled Wednesday that Combs would remain jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn until his sentencing hearing, citing past violent incidents that his attorneys acknowledged during the trial.

In explaining his decision, Subramanian referenced testimony by Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Jane, that the celebrity choked and dragged her during an argument in June 2024 when Combs was aware he was being investigated.

“It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he poses no danger,” Subramanian said.

Combs’ attorneys had proposed a $1-million bond and offered to surrender his passport, have him undergo drug testing and restrict his travel to New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

In a letter arguing for his release, Combs’ attorneys noted that Combs has children and an 85-year-old mother with various health conditions who would like her son to be her primary caretaker.

“It would be unjust to continue detaining Mr. Combs at the MDC even one day longer, especially since — given the sentencing guidelines for these prostitution offenses — he would otherwise be entitled to serve any additional time imposed at a lower-security facility,” his attorneys wrote.

Still, Subramanian said detention is “mandatory” for the prostitution-related charge, under the law known as the Mann Act. Combs’ sentencing date has not been set, but the judge proposed holding the hearing in October, meaning Combs will have been in custody for more than a year.

Rahmani acknowledges that the judge’s decision to hold Combs and set a sentencing for October may not be a good sign for the hip-hop mogul.

“It does suggest he plans to sentence Combs to more than time served, perhaps a lot more,” Rahmani said.

Louis Shapiro, a defense attorney who represents defendants in federal cases, echoed that the judge keeping Combs in custody suggests he’s leaning toward the prosecution’s view of sentencing.

“I expect the judge will meet the parties in the middle and impose at least a two-year sentence, where he gets credit for the time he already served,” Shapiro said. “The government is trying to focus the judge on the evidence of Diddy’s domestic violence, even though he wasn’t convicted of it. Given that the judge didn’t release him after the verdict, it would indicate that the judge is buying into their argument.”

Another wild card also remains — a possible presidential pardon.

In May, as the trial was underway, a reporter asked President Trump about the case, noting he has the power to pardon individuals convicted of federal crimes.

Trump told reporters no one had asked him about pardoning the celebrity. He said he hadn’t been following the case closely and would “certainly look at the facts.”

“I know people are thinking about it,” Trump said. “I think some people have been very close to asking.”

On Wednesday, Combs was exultant after the jury delivered its verdict, acquitting him of the most serious charges the government levied against him.

For his defense team, the result was vindication of what they’ve maintained all along: “He has not sexually assaulted anybody, certainly hasn’t sex-trafficked anybody and the jury found that today,” attorney Teny Geragos said.

“One thing stands between all of us and a prison, and that is a jury of 12 citizens,” Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ lead defense attorney, said outside the courthouse. “And we had a wonderful jury, they listened to every word. And they got the situation right, or certainly right enough.”