October 3, 2025 • 8 mins
The judge slams down the gavel on Sean 'Diddy' Combs' fate; he's sentenced to 50-months in prison...as the music mogul's mercy pleas fail in court. But the "freak off" king's legal battles are far from over! Jennifer Gould reports.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news. Now, I'm Jennifer Gould.
It was the day of reckoning for the man known
across the world as Diddy. Sean Combs faced US District
Judge Aaron Supermanian in a Manhattan courtroom at his sentencing,
and the federal hammer came down more like a big tap.
(00:23):
The hip hop mogul was sentenced to fifty months in
prison minus fourteen months already served, equaling just over four years.
It was the decisive courtroom moment that closed the year
long chapter of federal sex crime proceedings. The defense, led
by attorney Mark Agnifilo, pleaded for the ultimate mercy, demanding
(00:47):
a sentence of just fourteen months time already served, which
would secure Combs's immediate release from the Metropolitan Detention Center
in Brooklyn. The defense's presentation and included an eleven minute
video highlighting Combs's family life and philanthropy. Here's part of it.
Listen today. Now I'm a full time dad and I'm
(01:11):
gonna be there for you do everything all of young.
Their argument centered on his confinement being a period of
genuine reform and the jury's acquittal on the most severe
charges Agnifilo highlighted Combs's status as a first time offender
and argued the recommended sentence was quote unquote draconian. Combs's children,
(01:34):
including Quincy, Justin, and Chance, addressed the court in support
alongside a minister, while the defense also emphasized his rehabilitation
through teaching a business course to inmates at the MDC.
In an effort to soften the court, Combs submitted a
handwritten sob letter to the judge, proclaiming that he was
(01:58):
quote better off dead end quote at times, and stating
quote the old me died in jail and a new
version of me was reborn end quote. Addressing the court,
Combs echoed the sentiment, admitting he quote lost my way
end quote and that his downfall was rooted in his selfishness.
(02:18):
He asked for mercy, assuring the court quote I take
full responsibility and accountability for my past wrongs end quote,
and pleaded for leniency for the sake of his children.
In sharp contrast, Assistant US attorney Christy Slavic demanded a
formidable term of at least one hundred and thirty five
(02:38):
months eleven years and three months. Slavic argued that the
defendant's professed remorse was a performance, pointing to flight logs
that showed Combs had already booked post sentencing speaking engagements
in Miami, a move she called the quote height of
Hubris end quote. Slavic consists that the sentence was crucial
(03:02):
for accountability and justice, arguing Combs committed serious federal crimes
repeatedly over the course of fifteen years that quote shattered
victims lives end quote. She concluded by stating, quote he
didn't need the money. His currency was control end quote.
Prosecutors supported their argument by reading victim impact letters from Ventura,
(03:26):
her parents, former assistant Mia and stylist Dante Nash, underscoring
quote decades of unchecked violence end quote. The judge's skepticism
was immediately apparent. Judge Supermanian issued a forceful rejection of
Combs's claims of reform, publicly noting that the defense's continued
(03:48):
denial of key facts was quote flatly inconsistent with reality
end quote. The judge then confirmed his intent to follow
federal precedent, ruling that he would consider the totality of
the underlying criminal conduct, including the evidence from the counts
where the jury found Combs not guilty. The judge had
(04:12):
already denied Combs's motions for acquittal and a new trial
earlier in the week, stating that prosecutors quote proved their
case many times over end quote for Crime and Justice
News after this, the verdict, delivered on July third, after
(04:32):
three days of deliberation, following an exhaustive eight week trial
that began on May twelfth, was a split decision. Combs
initially faced charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and two counts of
sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, charges that carry
life sentences. The jury acquitted Combs of those most severe charges.
(04:57):
Here's Mark Agnifilo at the time. Listen, today's a great victory.
It's a great victory for Sean Combs. It's a great
victory for the jury system. However, he was found guilty
on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under
the Man Act, with each count carrying a penalty of
(05:17):
up to ten years for a maximum of twenty years.
The trial was saturated with harrowing testimony. The most crucial
witness was Cassandra Cassie Ventura, the mogul's former girlfriend, who
detailed systematic psychological and physical abuse. Ventura described being coerced
into participating in drug fueled, voyeuristic sexual encounters, which Combs
(05:43):
shamefully named freak offs. Other key testimony came from a
former personal assistant testifying under the pseudonym Mia, who alleged
multiple instances of rape, and a friend of Ventura's who
recounted Comb's dangling Ventura from a seventeenth floor balcony. Rapper
Kid Cuddy testified that Combs broke into his home, and
(06:07):
exotic dancer Scharay Hayes, known as the Punisher, testified about
paid sexual encounters with Ventura. The most damning evidence, though,
the twenty sixteen Los Angeles hotel surveillance video was played
in court showing Comb's viciously kicking, dragging, and assaulting Ventura,
enact he later publicly apologized for. The only accuser scheduled
(06:32):
to speak at the hearing, Mia changed her mind after
a defense letter she described as quote unquote bullying. Furthermore,
Virginia Hun, referred to as Victim three, wrote to the
judge stating she was pressured by prosecutors to feel like
a victim and was never sex trafficked by Colmbs. Colmbs
(06:52):
was arrested on September sixteenth, twenty twenty four, by federal
agents in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan hotel. Since
his arrest, the former Bad Boy Records boss has been
held without bail at MDC Brooklyn. While the possibility is remote,
speculation remains that, given his high profile, Calms could potentially
(07:14):
be considered for a presidential pardon, adding a bizarre political
layer to his future. For now, however, Sean Colmes will
serve his sentence in federal prison. While the federal case
is over, the criminal conviction has unleashed a torrent of
civil litigation. Colms currently faces dozens of active lawsuits alleging
(07:36):
sexual assault, rape, and drugging. Furthermore, attorneys are reportedly preparing
to file over one hundred and twenty additional cases involving
both male and female accusers, some reportedly miners at the
time of the alleged abuse, with claims spanning from the
nineteen nineties, ensuring the convicted mogul is nowhere near out
(08:01):
of the legal woods yet. For the latest crime and
justice news, follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your
favorite podcast app with this crime Alert. I'm Jennifer Gould,
Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news. Now, I'm Jennifer Gould.
It was the day of reckoning for the man known
across the world as Diddy. Sean Combs faced US District
Judge Aaron Supermanian in a Manhattan courtroom at his sentencing,
and the federal hammer came down more like a big tap.
(00:23):
The hip hop mogul was sentenced to fifty months in
prison minus fourteen months already served, equaling just over four years.
It was the decisive courtroom moment that closed the year
long chapter of federal sex crime proceedings. The defense, led
by attorney Mark Agnifilo, pleaded for the ultimate mercy, demanding
(00:47):
a sentence of just fourteen months time already served, which
would secure Combs's immediate release from the Metropolitan Detention Center
in Brooklyn. The defense's presentation and included an eleven minute
video highlighting Combs's family life and philanthropy. Here's part of it.
Listen today. Now I'm a full time dad and I'm
(01:11):
gonna be there for you do everything all of young.
Their argument centered on his confinement being a period of
genuine reform and the jury's acquittal on the most severe
charges Agnifilo highlighted Combs's status as a first time offender
and argued the recommended sentence was quote unquote draconian. Combs's children,
(01:34):
including Quincy, Justin, and Chance, addressed the court in support
alongside a minister, while the defense also emphasized his rehabilitation
through teaching a business course to inmates at the MDC.
In an effort to soften the court, Combs submitted a
handwritten sob letter to the judge, proclaiming that he was
(01:58):
quote better off dead end quote at times, and stating
quote the old me died in jail and a new
version of me was reborn end quote. Addressing the court,
Combs echoed the sentiment, admitting he quote lost my way
end quote and that his downfall was rooted in his selfishness.
(02:18):
He asked for mercy, assuring the court quote I take
full responsibility and accountability for my past wrongs end quote,
and pleaded for leniency for the sake of his children.
In sharp contrast, Assistant US attorney Christy Slavic demanded a
formidable term of at least one hundred and thirty five
(02:38):
months eleven years and three months. Slavic argued that the
defendant's professed remorse was a performance, pointing to flight logs
that showed Combs had already booked post sentencing speaking engagements
in Miami, a move she called the quote height of
Hubris end quote. Slavic consists that the sentence was crucial
(03:02):
for accountability and justice, arguing Combs committed serious federal crimes
repeatedly over the course of fifteen years that quote shattered
victims lives end quote. She concluded by stating, quote he
didn't need the money. His currency was control end quote.
Prosecutors supported their argument by reading victim impact letters from Ventura,
(03:26):
her parents, former assistant Mia and stylist Dante Nash, underscoring
quote decades of unchecked violence end quote. The judge's skepticism
was immediately apparent. Judge Supermanian issued a forceful rejection of
Combs's claims of reform, publicly noting that the defense's continued
(03:48):
denial of key facts was quote flatly inconsistent with reality
end quote. The judge then confirmed his intent to follow
federal precedent, ruling that he would consider the totality of
the underlying criminal conduct, including the evidence from the counts
where the jury found Combs not guilty. The judge had
(04:12):
already denied Combs's motions for acquittal and a new trial
earlier in the week, stating that prosecutors quote proved their
case many times over end quote for Crime and Justice
News after this, the verdict, delivered on July third, after
(04:32):
three days of deliberation, following an exhaustive eight week trial
that began on May twelfth, was a split decision. Combs
initially faced charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and two counts of
sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, charges that carry
life sentences. The jury acquitted Combs of those most severe charges.
(04:57):
Here's Mark Agnifilo at the time. Listen, today's a great victory.
It's a great victory for Sean Combs. It's a great
victory for the jury system. However, he was found guilty
on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under
the Man Act, with each count carrying a penalty of
(05:17):
up to ten years for a maximum of twenty years.
The trial was saturated with harrowing testimony. The most crucial
witness was Cassandra Cassie Ventura, the mogul's former girlfriend, who
detailed systematic psychological and physical abuse. Ventura described being coerced
into participating in drug fueled, voyeuristic sexual encounters, which Combs
(05:43):
shamefully named freak offs. Other key testimony came from a
former personal assistant testifying under the pseudonym Mia, who alleged
multiple instances of rape, and a friend of Ventura's who
recounted Comb's dangling Ventura from a seventeenth floor balcony. Rapper
Kid Cuddy testified that Combs broke into his home, and
(06:07):
exotic dancer Scharay Hayes, known as the Punisher, testified about
paid sexual encounters with Ventura. The most damning evidence, though,
the twenty sixteen Los Angeles hotel surveillance video was played
in court showing Comb's viciously kicking, dragging, and assaulting Ventura,
enact he later publicly apologized for. The only accuser scheduled
(06:32):
to speak at the hearing, Mia changed her mind after
a defense letter she described as quote unquote bullying. Furthermore,
Virginia Hun, referred to as Victim three, wrote to the
judge stating she was pressured by prosecutors to feel like
a victim and was never sex trafficked by Colmbs. Colmbs
(06:52):
was arrested on September sixteenth, twenty twenty four, by federal
agents in the lobby of a midtown Manhattan hotel. Since
his arrest, the former Bad Boy Records boss has been
held without bail at MDC Brooklyn. While the possibility is remote,
speculation remains that, given his high profile, Calms could potentially
(07:14):
be considered for a presidential pardon, adding a bizarre political
layer to his future. For now, however, Sean Colmes will
serve his sentence in federal prison. While the federal case
is over, the criminal conviction has unleashed a torrent of
civil litigation. Colms currently faces dozens of active lawsuits alleging
(07:36):
sexual assault, rape, and drugging. Furthermore, attorneys are reportedly preparing
to file over one hundred and twenty additional cases involving
both male and female accusers, some reportedly miners at the
time of the alleged abuse, with claims spanning from the
nineteen nineties, ensuring the convicted mogul is nowhere near out
(08:01):
of the legal woods yet. For the latest crime and
justice news, follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your
favorite podcast app with this crime Alert. I'm Jennifer Gould,
Host
Nancy Grace
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