A federal jury issued a verdict in the trial against the American rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was accused of leading a criminal organization that forced women to have sexual relations with men.
The jury found “Diddy” guilty of only two out of the five charges he faced. He was found not guilty of conspiracy to extort, sex trafficking by force, and fraud or coercion.
He was found guilty of charges related to transporting for prostitution.
Combs was charged with five counts: Conspiracy to commit organized crime, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transportation for prostitution.
The jury in the case began deliberating since last Monday.
Jury reaches verdict on four charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs
After two days of deliberations, the panel informed federal judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday that they maintain deep differences regarding the charge of conspiracy to commit a crime, an accusation that requires proving the existence of a criminal structure led by Combs. The judge ordered the jury to resume their analysis and continue on Wednesday morning.
The jury ruled on two charges related to sex trafficking and two charges related to transportation for prostitution. However, it had already been announced that the lack of agreement on the conspiracy charge was jeopardizing a complete verdict. One of the jurors noted that the differences were irreconcilable, but the judge refused to declare the deliberations deadlocked.
The prosecution argues that Combs built a criminal network with the help of bodyguards, employees, and associates, all dedicated to recruiting and subjugating women through threats, manipulation, and violence. The prosecutors presented over thirty witnesses, including his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, who described multiple episodes of abuse, including beatings, confinement, and an alleged kidnapping.
Daniel Phillip, a former production assistant, recounted an incident in which Combs dragged Cassie across the floor of a hotel and forced her into a van while she screamed in terror. Another witness, a former security guard, described how the accused used drugs to keep his partners under control.
The defense dismissed the accusations as an attempt to reinterpret consensual relationships under the scrutiny of the media. They claimed that there was no criminal structure and accused the prosecutors of distorting voluntary sexual practices. According to Combs’ lawyers, the trial is more of a smear campaign than based on proven facts.
The process started on May 5th and became one of the most media-covered of the year. The verdict on the conspiracy charge would define the artist’s criminal future. If the jury reaches a consensus and finds Combs guilty, the producer would face a possible life sentence. Otherwise, the judge could declare a mistrial on that charge and allow the prosecution to decide whether to bring it back to court.