The high-stakes legal saga surrounding hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has taken another dramatic turn, as his lawyers on Tuesday "urged the judge who oversaw his sex crimes trial to release him from jail on a $50-million bond" ahead of his scheduled October 3 sentencing. This urgent appeal comes in the wake of a complex verdict that saw Combs "found not guilty of the most serious charges he faced," yet still convicted on two lesser counts.
After a rigorous "six-week trial," Combs, 55, was acquitted on "July 2 of three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy," charges that carried the potential for life sentences. However, the Bad Boy Records founder "was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution." While each of these counts carries a "maximum 10-year sentence," prosecutors have notably "acknowledged that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a sentence well below the statutory maximum." Throughout the trial, prosecutors had alleged that Combs "used physical violence, threats, and the resources of his business empire to coerce two former girlfriends to participate in days-long, drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers sometimes called 'freak-offs.'" Combs, for his part, consistently "pleaded not guilty," with his lawyers arguing that his "two girlfriends took part willingly in the encounters."
In their recent court filing, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo presented a compelling case for Combs’ immediate release. Agnifilo highlighted the "dangerous" conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, where Combs has been detained. He argued that it is highly unusual for defendants convicted of "prostitution-related charges that were similar to Combs’" to remain incarcerated prior to sentencing. Agnifilo asserted, "Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct," and dramatically added, "In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of john."
The defense further elaborated on the perceived anomaly of Combs' continued detention. They argued that it was "unusual for him to be prosecuted on the prostitution-related offenses at all because he was not profiting financially from the acts of prostitution." Furthermore, Combs’ lawyers contended that his detention "since September 2024 at the MDC should qualify as an 'exceptional circumstance' warranting Combs’ release despite the evidence he had been violent." They raised serious concerns about his safety, noting that "there have been fights in his unit, and wrote on Tuesday that his safety is at risk."
Despite these arguments, US District Judge Arun Subramanian had previously "denied Combs’ initial request for release immediately after the verdict, citing the ample evidence presented at trial of violent acts he committed." A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, which brought the charges, "declined to comment" on the latest bond request. Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), which operates MDC, issued a statement assuring that "The BOP continually works to improve conditions at all of our institutions, to include MDC Brooklyn.” As the October 3 sentencing approaches, the judge's decision on this substantial bond request will be a critical next step in a legal journey that continues to draw intense scrutiny from both the music world and beyond.
