Sex trafficking trial: Diddy found guilty, may bag 20 years jail term

Jurors in the federal criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, yesterday, found the hip-hop mogul guilty of two of the five counts filed against him, acquitting him of the other three.

The 12-member panel acquitted Combs of racketeering and sex trafficking but found him guilty of prostitution-related offenses.After the verdict was read, Judge Arun Subramanian adjourned court while he weighs whether to grant Combs bail before sentencing. The 55-year-old, who could have been sentenced to life in prison had he been convicted of racketeering or sex trafficking, now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The jury spent more than 12 hours across three days deliberating the case. On Tuesday afternoon, the panel said that it had come to an agreement on counts two, three, four and five, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution, but was unable to reach a verdict on count one: racketeering conspiracy.

An hour into its deliberations, yesterday, the jury sent a note telling the judge that it had reached a verdict on all five counts.

The defense told the judge that Combs should be allowed to return to his home on Star Island in Miami. Prosecutors contend that he remains a flight risk.

Subramanian asked attorneys from both sides to submit letters to him regarding Combs’s possible release by 1 p.m. ET.

Combs faces up to 20 years in prison. The two charges Combs has been convicted of carry sentences of up to 10 years each, and prosecutor Maureen Comey said that the government will seek the maximum penalty.