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After an eight-week trial, Sean Combs was convicted of two federal felonies but acquitted of the three most serious charges leveled against him, leading many legal experts to declare the verdict a victory for the embattled mogul.
The mixed verdict found Combs guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution related to his ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, and an ex-girlfriend who testified under the name “Jane.” He was found not guilty on the more severe counts of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Had he been convicted on all charges, or even some of the more serious ones, Combs could have faced up to life in prison. The guilty verdicts for the two prostitution charges could still land him in prison for some time, but the penalty is expected to be much less severe.
Each violation of the Mann Act carries up to 10 years in prison, meaning Combs technically faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Most legal experts, however, do not expect Judge Arun Subramanian to hand down such a harsh punishment. Combs has no prior criminal record, which could lead to a more lenient sentence, while Subramanian could also allow him to serve concurrent sentences for the two counts.
“This is a huge win for Combs,” Alyse Adamson, a former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, tells Rolling Stone. “He has no criminal history. He’s not going to get 10 years for this. He may even get close to time-served.” A sentencing date for Combs has not yet been set.
“Forget about the 10-year maximum sentence. You can throw that out the window. What matters are the federal sentencing guidelines,” Neama Rahmani, another former federal prosecutor, tells Rolling Stone. “I think he’s looking at as little as 15 to 21 months.”
More pressing at the moment is whether Combs will be remanded back into custody or released on bond as he awaits sentencing. After the verdict was read, the prosecution and defense squabbled over the matter, with Subramanian expected to make a decision later today.
The government raised concerns that, if released, Combs could “disregard orders from this court,” citing evidence that the mogul “continued to commit a litany of crimes” — such as alleged abuse and drug use — even after he knew he was under federal investigation. Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo, however, pushed for his client’s immediate release on bond, saying he would be “nothing short of a fool” to violate a court order.
