Casandra Ventura, Sean Combs’s ex-girlfriend and the primary witness in his federal trial, has urged the judge to consider the profound impact of Sean Combs’s abuse and control on “many lives” when determining his sentence for prostitution-related convictions.
The singer, widely known as Cassie, was among seven individuals whose letters regarding Mr. Combs were included in a legal submission by prosecutors on Tuesday. This filing requested that Judge Arun Subramanian impose a sentence of 11 years and three months on Mr. Combs.
Ms. Ventura’s testimony was crucial to the prosecution’s claim that Mr. Combs operated a criminal enterprise, specifically involved in committing and concealing sex trafficking.
Following an eight-week trial at Federal District Court in Manhattan in July, the jury largely dismissed the government’s arguments. While Mr. Combs was acquitted of the more severe charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, he was found guilty on two counts related to transporting individuals for prostitution.
The government portrayed Ms. Ventura and another woman, referred to as Jane, as victims coerced into drug-fueled sexual encounters with hired men, known as “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.” These incidents formed the basis of the prostitution convictions. Although the jury did not accept the coercion claim, both Ms. Ventura and others involved were able to present their accounts of how these crimes affected them, aiming to influence the judge’s sentencing decision.
In her three-page letter, Ms. Ventura asserted, “While the jury did not seem to understand or believe that I engaged in freak-offs because of the force and coercion the defendant used against me, I know that is the truth, and his sentence should reflect the reality of the evidence and my lived experience as a victim.”
Mr. Combs, detained in a Brooklyn federal jail for over a year, awaits sentencing this Friday. The prostitution charges fall under the federal Mann Act, which criminalizes transporting individuals for prostitution, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years. The judge will consider various factors, including the nature of the offense and precedents for similar convictions, guided by sentencing guidelines.
His defense team has asked for a sentence of no more than 14 months. If approved, this would mean his release before year-end, considering time already served.
Prosecutors, in their Tuesday filing, requested that the judge factor in the violence and intimidation revealed during trial. They contended that even with Mr. Combs’s acquittal on sex trafficking and racketeering, evidence of “relevant conduct” should influence his sentencing. Beyond imprisonment, a $500,000 fine was also sought.
“The sentence imposed on the defendant should reflect the substantial psychological, emotional, and physical damage he has inflicted,” stated the prosecutors.
The defense strongly opposed the inclusion of evidence related to the acquitted charges, arguing in a recent legal submission that “the court cannot use acquitted conduct in any way to enhance Mr. Combs’s sentence.”
Ms. Ventura was involved with Mr. Combs for approximately ten years and was signed to his record label as a singer. Over four days of testimony, she delivered harrowing accounts of “freak-offs,” extended sex sessions where Mr. Combs allegedly orchestrated her and male escorts in intricate sexual acts, often watching and filming. She also claimed Mr. Combs threatened to blackmail her with these videos.
In her letter, Ms. Ventura characterized her decade with Mr. Combs as “horrific… stained by abuse, violence, forced sex and degradation,” expressing ongoing fears for her safety.
The prosecution’s submission contained letters from Ms. Ventura’s parents and a former personal assistant, identified as Mia, who accused Mr. Combs of sexual assault. No letter from the woman identified as Jane was included.
During her trial testimony, Ms. Ventura recounted multiple instances of Mr. Combs’s violence, particularly during “freak-offs.” A key piece of evidence, repeatedly shown to the jury, was a security video depicting Mr. Combs assaulting Ms. Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway. The government presented text messages and photos, asserting that Ms. Ventura was attempting to flee a “freak-off” after Mr. Combs allegedly hit her, leaving her with a black eye.
The defense, however, contended that the hotel incident stemmed from a dispute over a cellphone, unrelated to sex trafficking. His legal team maintained that encounters with escorts were consensual, occurring within a long-term relationship where Ms. Ventura was a willing participant.
While Mr. Combs’s attorneys conceded his responsibility for domestic abuse, they adamantly denied that he was a sex trafficker or involved in racketeering, and rejected any claims of a criminal conspiracy.
Mr. Combs chose not to testify.
Last week, when the defense argued for a sentence not exceeding 14 months, their submission included over 60 letters from family, musical colleagues, and other supporters. These letters portrayed Mr. Combs as a role model who has learned from his errors.
Ms. Ventura’s letter highlighted her persistent sense of insecurity.
She wrote, “If there is one thing I have learned from this experience, it is that victims and survivors will never be safe.”
She concluded with a plea: “I hope that your decision considers the truths at hand that the jury failed to see.”