Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs urged a U.S. judge late on Monday to impose a 14-month prison sentence on the hip-hop mogul after he was convicted of prostitution-related offenses, but acquitted on more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Combs, 55, faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison after a Manhattan jury found him guilty in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty and is expected to appeal his conviction.
In a court filing, the Combs legal team urged the judge to impose the lesser sentence, followed by supervised release with mandatory drug treatment, therapy, and group counselling, arguing it would be "sufficient, but not greater than necessary" under federal sentencing law.
Prosecutors have until 29 September to recommend a sentence and have said that a "substantial" prison term is warranted, but acknowledged that federal sentencing guidelines appear to recommend no more than 5-1/4 years.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to sentence Combs on 3 October. Subramanian has also scheduled a hearing for Thursday to consider Combs' motion to set the conviction aside.
Combs founded Bad Boy Records and is credited with popularising hip-hop in American culture.
During a two-month trial, prosecutors said Combs coerced two former girlfriends into days-long, drug-fuelled sex marathons known as "Freak Offs" with male prostitutes.
Both women: rhythm and blues singer Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie, and a woman known by the pseudonym Jane, testified that Combs physically attacked them and threatened to cut off financial support if they resisted his sexual encounters.
Lawyers for Combs did not deny there was abuse, but argued there was no direct link between what they called domestic violence and the women's participation in the "Freak Offs."
They argued that Ventura and Jane consented to the encounters because they loved Combs and wanted to make him happy.
Combs' lawyers have said voyeurism, or paying to watch others have sex, does not constitute engaging in prostitution.
Prosecutors countered that Combs' direct involvement in sexual activity wasn't required.
Combs was arrested in September 2024 and has remained in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since then.
Several people were injured after a driver struck pedestrians and cyclists on the French island of Île d’Oléron, authorities said, adding that two...
China and Russia pledged to strengthen financial and economic cooperation during their 11th ministerial dialogue in Beijing, highlighting plans for jo...
An internationally coordinated action against alleged online fraud and money laundering networks that included German payment service providers result...
Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday that China's economy will exceed 170 trillion yuan ($23.87 trillion) by 2030, presenting a big market opportunity f...
Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is expected to nominate his son, Levon Kocharyan, as the lead candidate for the “Armenia” bloc in the 2...
Several people were injured after a driver struck pedestrians and cyclists on the French island of Île d’Oléron, authorities said, adding that two victims remain in intensive care.
China and Russia pledged to strengthen financial and economic cooperation during their 11th ministerial dialogue in Beijing, highlighting plans for joint action in global governance and multilateral institutions.
An internationally coordinated action against alleged online fraud and money laundering networks that included German payment service providers resulted in 18 arrests, German authorities said on Wednesday.
Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday that China's economy will exceed 170 trillion yuan ($23.87 trillion) by 2030, presenting a big market opportunity for the world as trade restrictions rise globally.
Russia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.
At least 37 people have died and five are missing after devastating floods and landslides hit central Vietnam, officials said Monday, as a new typhoon threatens to worsen the disaster.
The eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk has emerged as a critical point in Russia’s campaign to seize the remaining Ukrainian-held parts of Donetsk, and its fate could shape the course of the conflict in the region.
Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan vowed on Monday to move on from deadly protests set off by last week's disputed election as she was sworn into office for her first elected term.
Israel’s top military legal officer Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned last week, has been arrested over the leak of a video showing soldiers brutally assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman military prison.
Several people were injured after a driver struck pedestrians and cyclists on the French island of Île d’Oléron, authorities said, adding that two victims remain in intensive care.
China and Russia pledged to strengthen financial and economic cooperation during their 11th ministerial dialogue in Beijing, highlighting plans for joint action in global governance and multilateral institutions.
An internationally coordinated action against alleged online fraud and money laundering networks that included German payment service providers resulted in 18 arrests, German authorities said on Wednesday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 5th of November, covering the latest developments you need to know.
UNESCO has officially designated 15 December as World Turkic Language Family Day, marking an historic recognition of the linguistic and cultural heritage shared by Turkic-speaking nations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment