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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.
Jurors had continued their deliberations Wednesday morning after initially saying on Tuesday they couldn’t reach a consensus on the most complicated counts – racketeering conspiracy.
Here’s what we know about the charges and potential sentencing:
What were the charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs?
The three-time Grammy Award winner had pleaded not guilty to five felony charges: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Prosecutors said Combs coerced women into abusive sex parties involving hired male sex workers, ensured their compliance with drugs like cocaine and threats to their careers, and silenced victims through blackmail and violence that included kidnapping, arson and beatings.
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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