In a significant legal development, a federal judge has rejected Sean Combs’s bid to overturn his conviction on prostitution-related charges. This decision paves the way for the music mogul’s sentencing, scheduled for Friday.
Following an intensive eight-week trial in July, a jury found Mr. Combs responsible for transporting individuals across state lines for illicit purposes. These convictions stemmed from what prosecutors described as extravagant, drug-fueled “freak-offs” or “hotel nights,” events he allegedly organized where he observed his girlfriends engaging in sexual activity with male escorts.
Key testimony came from two women, Casandra Ventura and another identified as Jane, who described feeling pressured and manipulated into these sexual encounters. While the jury found him guilty of lesser prostitution-related charges, they did not conclude that coercion had occurred, leading to his acquittal on the more severe charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, which carried potential life imprisonment.
Subsequently, Mr. Combs’s legal team petitioned Judge Arun Subramanian to either acquit him or grant a new trial focusing exclusively on the prostitution charges. They contended that their client was unfairly prosecuted under the federal Mann Act for what they argued was consensual sexual activity among adults.
However, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Judge Subramanian firmly rejected the defense’s arguments, solidifying the upcoming sentencing hearing on Friday.
“The prosecution presented compelling evidence of Mr. Combs’s guilt under the Mann Act on numerous occasions involving both Ms. Ventura and Jane,” Judge Subramanian stated in his decision, emphasizing that “the government’s case was proven repeatedly.”
The defense further contended that Mr. Combs could not be held accountable for prostitution offenses. Their argument hinged on the premise that the activities involved his girlfriends and male escorts, from which he allegedly did not derive financial gain.
Judge Subramanian remained unconvinced.
“For any contemporary understanding, the clear definition of prostitution involves sex for money,” the judge articulated. He warned that the defense’s narrower interpretation “would effectively erase the crime of prostitution.”
Furthermore, Judge Subramanian highlighted that trial evidence indicated Mr. Combs was more than just an observer, often engaging in the sexual activities himself. He detailed testimony, briefly but explicitly, about Mr. Combs and an escort having sex with Ms. Ventura, and instances where Mr. Combs had intercourse with Ms. Ventura or Jane immediately after they had been with an escort.
Sean Combs, 55, also known as Puff Daddy or Diddy, has been held at a Brooklyn detention facility for over a year. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for each of his two convictions. His legal representatives have advocated for a lenient sentence, aiming for his release shortly after the upcoming sentencing.
Meanwhile, in documents submitted earlier on Tuesday, prosecutors requested Judge Subramanian impose a sentence of at least 11 years and three months for Mr. Combs.
The defense’s extensive efforts to reverse the verdict strongly hint at an impending appeal. Mr. Combs’s attorneys argued that since he frequently filmed these “freak-offs” – likening him to an “adult film producer” – his actions were safeguarded under the First Amendment.
Judge Subramanian dismissed this argument, asserting that “unlawful activities cannot be reclassified as constitutionally protected merely by the intent to observe or record them.”