Follow all of our Sean Combs trial coverage
Sean Combs could walk outside of a lower Manhattan court on Wednesday afternoon following his acquittal on sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges.
After Combs was found guilty on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, his attorneys immediately filed a motion for the 55-year-old to be released from custody pending his sentencing.
Pointing out Combs’ sobbing family members seated just a few feet behind a rejoicing Combs, the vindicated hip-hop mogul’s lead attorney Marc Agnifilo emphasized to Judge Arun Subramanian that Combs was not a flight risk and that some of his children would cosign the one-time billionaire’s $1 million bond.
“Mr. Combs has been given his life by this jury,” Agnifilo argued, adding his client would be “nothing short of a fool” to violate a court order. “He will not run afoul of anything this court imposes on him,” Agnifilo said.
Along with the $1 million bond, Combs’ lawyers put forward several other possible conditions of his release in the letter they submitted to Subramanian. Arguing their client was not a flight risk — and noting he hasn’t had passport since his homes were raided and searched last spring — they called for restricting his travel to parts of Florida and California (where he has homes), as well as New York and New Jersey (for meetings with lawyers and court appearances). They also said Combs would continue to submit to drug tests as ordered by Pretrial Services.
“As these proceedings have demonstrated, and as we told the Court from the outset of this case, Mr. Combs came to New York to surrender in order to defend against the government’s charges because he was ‘committed to showing his innocence,’” Combs’ lawyers wrote. “Since his arrest and detention on September 17, 2024, Mr. Combs has obeyed the Court, respected these proceedings, and demonstrated model behavior at the MDC. And today, the jury unambiguously rejected the government’s allegations that Mr. Combs ran a years-long criminal enterprise or engaged in sex trafficking — the core of the government’s case. Mr. Combs stands convicted of two Mann Act counts, and his sentencing exposure is substantially lower than when the government initially sought detention.”
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Combs has now cleared the risk of serving life in prison on the three most serious counts against him. Still, the prostitution conviction could land Combs in prison for up to 20 years, with each charge carrying a possible sentence of up to 10 years. Legal experts, however, have noted that the actual sentence could be less severe, especially since Combs had no prior criminal record. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The court will reconvene at 5 p.m. to decide on the motion. In a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, government witness and Ventura’s friend Deonte Nash expressed “grave concern” at the possibility of Combs’ release. “I feel compelled to be unequivocal about the danger he poses to the public and to the individuals who have risked everything by coming forward,” Nash wrote, noting Combs’ “long, well-documented history of violent, coercive, and retaliatory behavior” and calling him a “serious and immediate threat to victims, witnesses, and the broader community.”
Prosecutors raised concerns that Combs would “flagrantly disregard orders from this court” if released. They cited evidence presented during the trial that Combs “continued to commit a litany of crimes” — such as alleged abuse and drug use — even after he knew he was under federal investigation.
“This is very, very serious conduct,” said lead prosecutor Maurene Comey, who also reminded the judge that Combs did not “contest” that there was rampant domestic violence and substance abuse throughout the charged conduct. She raised concerns that Combs would “commit new crimes” and attempt to flee if given the chance.
Rolling Stone has learned that letters are being sent to the judge urging him to not release Combs pending sentencing, as the judge weighs his decision. Subramanian is expected to issue his ruling later this afternoon.
From Rolling Stone US
