Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs jurors say they’ve reached verdict on four of five counts
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Jurors in the Sean Combs trial were divided on a lone racketeering charge.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW YORK - Jurors in the Sean “Diddy” Combs case were instructed to continue deliberating after they told the judge they had reached a verdict on sex trafficking and prostitution charges but were divided on a lone racketeering charge.
The jury sent Judge Arun Subramanian a note on the afternoon of July 1, during the second day of deliberations, saying they had reached a verdict on four of the five counts but were “unable to reach a verdict” on the racketeering count. Combs’ defence team huddled around him as he read the note.
The jury said there were “unpersuadable” jurors on the racketeering count. The sex trafficking and racketeering counts carry a potential life sentence.
Mr Subramanian told the 12-person jury to continue considering the evidence and discussing the case with fellow jurors. The jurors were sent home for the day and are set to continue their deliberations on July 2.
The development 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 defence argued the government exaggerated Combs’ behavior and criminalised consensual, if complicated, relationships.
The racketeering charge, which carries a life maximum, stems 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 historically has been used to take down mob bosses like John Gotti.
The government’s racketeering case included an allegation that Combs blew up rival rapper Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi’s car in a rage over Mescudi’s relationship with Combs’ former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura.
Another part of the case centered on an allegation that Combs bribed a hotel security guard to bury a surveillance video showing him hitting Ms Ventura.
The two sex trafficking charges stem from allegations that Combs coerced two women, Ms Ventura and a pseudonymous Jane Doe, into so-called “freak-offs”, which were marathon sex parties.
Each count carries a 15 year minimum and a life maximum. Ms Ventura testified that she agreed to partake in the parties because she feared Combs’ violent outbursts and his control over her finances and career.
The two charges of transporting prostitutes each carry a 10-year maximum. BLOOMBERG
