Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail by a federal judge in New York, despite being acquitted of the most serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking in his high-profile trial.
The jury convicted Combs of transportation to engage in prostitution, a serious federal offense that could see him face up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced later this year.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian issued the ruling on Tuesday, July 2, 2025, citing Combs’ “history of violence” and the danger he could pose if released, especially to the witnesses who testified against him during the nearly two-month-long federal trial.
Bail Denied Despite Acquittals
Combs’ legal team, led by defense attorney Marc Agnifilo, had argued passionately that the Bad Boy Records founder posed no flight risk, noting that his private jet was grounded in Hawaii and that he had voluntarily enrolled in a domestic violence reform program even before his arrest.
I just think we should trust him,” Agnifilo told the court.
But Judge Subramanian was not convinced.
He pointed to Combs’ admitted violent conduct, including a notorious 2016 incident in which hotel surveillance video showed him beating and dragging his ex-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, through a hallway. Security workers testified that Combs offered them money to delete the footage.
In denying bail, the judge said:
The defence conceded violence in his personal relationships. That alone is a red flag.
Convicted of Transporting for Prostitution
The jury, composed of 12 New Yorkers, deliberated for 13 hours before reaching a split verdict:
- Guilty on transportation to engage in prostitution
- Not guilty on sex trafficking and racketeering
- Acquitted on two other charges related to coercion and conspiracy
The conviction stems from accusations that Combs used his celebrity and influence to fly women across state lines for sexual exploitation. Under U.S. federal law, this is treated as a form of commercial sex crime punishable by long prison terms.
What Prosecutors Alleged
Throughout the seven-week trial, federal prosecutors painted a picture of Combs as the head of a shadowy, coercive sexual network. The government called over 30 witnesses, including:
- Singer Casandra Ventura, who testified while eight months pregnant,
- Rapper Kid Cudi,
- Former employees and hotel staff.
They described how Combs allegedly coerced women into participating in so-called “freak-offs” — sex parties where he watched and recorded women having sex with male escorts.
Ventura’s testimony was key: she said Combs threatened to leak tapes of her if she disobeyed him. In a letter to the court, she warned that releasing him would endanger victims:
Mr. Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including myself, as well as to the community,” said her attorney Douglas Wigdor.
Why Racketeering Was Hard to Prove
The jury struggled with the racketeering charge under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) — a law typically used to dismantle organized crime.
To convict under RICO, prosecutors needed to show that Combs had directed an illegal criminal enterprise, using loyal employees to commit kidnapping, drugging, coercion, obstruction of justice, and more.
But Combs’ defense argued that if any crimes occurred, they were not part of an organized enterprise — and not all staff were even aware of or complicit in the alleged acts.
Bad behavior is not the same as racketeering,” Agnifilo told the jury.
Jurors ultimately found that while there was evidence of abuse and coercion, it did not rise to the threshold of a coordinated criminal enterprise.
The Road to Sentencing
Combs will remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he has been held since September 2024. Sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2025.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the prostitution-related conviction.
Meanwhile, Combs continues to face dozens of civil lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual assault and violence, further complicating his legal troubles.
Once a towering figure in American pop culture, the 54-year-old Combs built an empire that included Bad Boy Records, the Sean John clothing line, Ciroc Vodka, and a range of media ventures.
Now, he awaits sentencing as his legacy faces permanent damage from one of the most explosive celebrity trials in recent U.S. history.
