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The three-time Grammy Award winner pleaded not guilty to five felony charges, and faced up to life in prison if convicted.
NEW YORK — The jury in the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial announced their verdict on Wednesday against the hip-hop star.
On Wednesday morning, jurors resumed their discussions after initially expressing on Tuesday that they were unable to come to an agreement on the most challenging charges – racketeering conspiracy.
Here’s what we know about the charges and potential sentencing:
What were the charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs?
The artist, a three-time Grammy Award recipient, had maintained innocence regarding five serious allegations: one charge of racketeering conspiracy; two accusations of sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion; and two charges related to transportation for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.
According to the prosecutors, Combs manipulated women into participating in abusive sex gatherings featuring hired male sex workers, guaranteed their compliance with substances like cocaine and threats to their professional standing, and suppressed victims through blackmail and violence, which involved kidnapping, arson, and physical assaults.
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, portrayed the Bad Boys Records founder as the victim of overzealous prosecutors who exaggerated elements of his lifestyle and recreational drug use to bring charges that resulted in what he called a “fake trial.”
What is racketeering conspiracy?
The most serious charge in this case, it alleged that Combs ran a criminal enterprise for two decades that relied on bodyguards, household staff, personal assistants and others in his orbit to facilitate and cover up crimes.
It’s commonly used to tackle organized crime, with prosecutors using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, or RICO, to take on the Mafia in the 1970s.
To prove the charge, prosecutors would have needed to show that an enterprise existed and was involved in a pattern of racketeering activity. In this case, the alleged activity included kidnapping, arson, bribery and sex trafficking.
What is a partial verdict?
The panel of eight men and four women said in a note Tuesday that “unpersuadable” views on both sides kept them from reaching a unanimous verdict on the racketeering charge.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian agreed with prosecutors and Combs’ defense team that it was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts after less than 13 hours of deliberations.
What sentence could Combs face?
Racketeering conspiracy carried a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. The sex trafficking charge carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. Transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
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