Sean 'Diddy' Combs Acquitted Of Most Serious Charges, Guilty Of Prostitution Offenses

Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted Wednesday on the top charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, but convicted of lesser charges of transporting prostitutes.

The verdict means Combs escaped the possibility of a life sentence though he still faces a maximum of 20 years on the two prostitution charges.

The 12-person jury in Manhattan federal court returned the mixed verdict after three days of deliberations.

The verdict followed a seven-week trial during which prosecutors said Combs ran a criminal enterprise and forced women into dayslong, drug-fueled sex parties with escorts. The defense argued the government exaggerated Combs’ behavior and criminalized consensual if complicated relationships.

The conviction for transporting a prostitute across state lines stems allegations that Combs paid sex workers to come to his “freak-off” parties. Each count carries a 10-year maximum.

The acquittal for racketeering, which carried a maximum of life, stemmed from allegations that Combs conspired with bodyguards and business partners to commit a number of crimes, including kidnapping, arson, bribery, and drug distribution. The charge has historically been used to take down mob bosses like John Gotti.

The government’s racketeering case included an allegation that Combs conspired with others to blow up rival rapper Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi’s car in a jealous rage over Mescudi’s relationship with Combs’ ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura. Another part of the case centered on an allegation that Combs conspired to bribe a hotel security guard to bury a surveillance video showing him hitting Ventura.

The two sex trafficking acquittals stem from allegations that Combs coerced two women, Ventura and a pseudonymous Jane Doe, into the so-called “freak-offs.” Ventura testified that she agreed to partake in the parties because she feared Combs’ violent outbursts and his control over her finances and career, but jurors weren’t persuaded by her testimony to convict Combs.