Los Angeles, CA – November 24, 2024 – Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs faces a potential prison sentence following his conviction on November 22, 2024, on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. the verdict, delivered in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of california in Los Angeles, followed a civil trial initiated by his former girlfriend, singer cassie Ventura, and subsequent criminal examination.

The case stems from allegations of a decades-long pattern of abuse and exploitation, detailed in Ventura’s lawsuit filed in November 2023. Ventura, whose full name is Cassandra Elizabeth Ventura, alleged Combs subjected her to years of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse during and after their relationship, which began around 2007. Over four days of testimony,Ventura recounted a particularly brutal incident in January 2009,while traveling in an Escalade near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). She testified that Combs’ demeanor shifted, describing his eyes as “going black” before he allegedly stomped on her face with his shoes for approximately ten minutes. Ventura stated the abuse continued until their final separation in the fall of 2018. She also claimed Combs threatened to release intimate videos of her to maintain control.

During the trial, Combs’ defense team, led by attorney Chris Agnifilo, notably did not dispute Ventura’s claims of domestic violence. Agnifilo conceded the abuse, stating, “We own them,” and arguing that a guilty plea on domestic violence charges would have precluded the current trial. This strategy appeared to resonate with the jury, which ultimately found Combs liable for the abuse described by Ventura. The civil suit resulted in a $17 million settlement reached just hours before closing arguments.

Following the civil verdict,a federal criminal investigation was launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department. The investigation led to raids of Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami on March 25, 2024, including his homes in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles and Star Island in Miami Beach. These searches were conducted in connection with allegations of sex trafficking.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over the case, expressed concerns about Combs’ potential for future violence during a detention hearing following the conviction. The judge cited combs’ “concession” of violence in his personal relationships as evidence that he posed a danger to the community, leading to the decision to detain him pending sentencing. Judge Subramanian specifically noted an incident occurring after the March 2024 raids, when Combs allegedly battered Ventura at her home despite being aware of the ongoing sex trafficking investigation.

The judge’s remarks highlighted the difficulty of mitigating such violence through conditions of release, emphasizing that the abuse occurred “behind closed doors” and was triggered by “unpredictable bouts of anger.” The case has sparked renewed discussion about the dynamics of power and control in abusive relationships, particularly within the entertainment industry.

Combs’ sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2024, at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys tali Farhadian Weinstein and David Abramowicz.