Sean “Diddy” Combs could face more than 11 years in federal prison after prosecutors urged a New York court to impose a lengthy sentence for his recent conviction on prostitution-related charges.
According to filings reported by Reuters and ABC News on Tuesday, prosecutors have asked U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian to hand down “at least 135 months’ imprisonment” alongside a $500,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday in Manhattan.
Combs, 55, was convicted on July 2 after a two-month trial on two counts of transporting men across state lines to engage in what prosecutors described as “drug-fueled sexual performances” involving his girlfriends, which he allegedly watched, recorded, and masturbated to. He was acquitted of more serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges that carried the possibility of a life sentence.
In their sentencing memo, prosecutors painted Combs as “violent, abusive and unrepentant,” stressing that his convictions should reflect the manner in which the crimes were committed. “The defendant will not be punished for any crimes of which he was acquitted, of course, but punishment for his crimes of conviction must take into account the manner in which he committed them,” the filing stated.
The memo also referenced Combs’ long history of alleged abuse, citing his former partner Cassie Ventura, who was reportedly left “bloodied and bruised” in incidents captured on hotel security footage. Prosecutors argued that his punishment should acknowledge “decades of unchecked violence” and the “psychological, emotional and physical damage he has inflicted.”
Combs’ legal team, however, has urged the judge to impose a far lighter sentence — around 14 months. Given his detention since September 2024 at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre, such a ruling could see him walk free by year’s end. Defense attorneys dismissed the government’s stance as “draconian,” claiming it amounted to a “verdict be damned” approach.
The Bad Boy Records founder was arrested in September 2024 on multiple federal charges, including racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. Jury selection for his trial began in May 2025, with proceedings spanning nearly two months. While jurors acquitted him of the most severe counts, his conviction on two transportation charges involving Ventura and another woman leaves his freedom hanging on Friday’s decision.
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