Sean "Diddy" Combs will remain behind bars following his conviction on two felony counts related to prostitution, after a federal judge denied his request for bail on Wednesday. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian came just hours after a Manhattan jury acquitted the music mogul of sex trafficking and racketeering but found him guilty of violating the Mann Act.
Combs' legal team had asked for immediate release on a $1 million bond co-signed by family members and proposed restrictions including passport surrender, limited travel to Florida, New York, and California, and regular drug testing. Judge Subramanian rejected the proposal, stating Combs' lawyers failed to show that their client posed "no danger to any person."
"You full-throatedly in your closing argument told the jury that there was violence here," Subramanian told Combs' defense counsel in court.
Combs has been in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. His sentencing is scheduled for October 3, though the date may be moved up if the defense seeks to expedite the process. Each count of conviction carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years, putting Combs at risk of serving up to two decades in federal prison.
The judge's decision followed letters submitted by both the prosecution and attorneys representing key witnesses. Doug Wigdor, attorney for Combs' ex-girlfriend and trial witness Cassie Ventura, argued that Combs remains a danger to her and others. Detention is "mandatory," Wigdor stated, referencing the federal statute governing Mann Act violations.
Prosecutors also submitted a letter from former Combs stylist Deonte Nash, who described Combs as "a serious and immediate threat to victims, witnesses, and the broader community." Nash alleged a pattern of violent behavior and substance abuse. "Many of us have firsthand knowledge of the fear he instills in those around him," the letter read.
Combs, who was found guilty of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution across state lines, had faced more severe charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The jury acquitted him of those charges after 29 days of testimony and 34 witnesses, including law enforcement and celebrity figures such as Kid Cudi and Dawn Richard.
The trial centered on testimony from two of Combs' former romantic partners-Cassie Ventura and a witness identified only as "Jane." Both described orchestrated sexual encounters referred to as "Freak Offs" or "Hotel Nights," which they alleged were facilitated under coercion. Ventura testified that Combs raped her toward the end of their relationship. The defense argued the encounters were consensual and did not call any witnesses.
Combs' attorneys emphasized that sentencing guidelines for his offenses typically range from 21 to 27 months and cited the 10 months he has already spent in custody. The government, however, is seeking a sentence of 51 to 63 months.
