Diddy Found Guilty On Two Counts After More Than 48 Hours Of Jury Deliberation

Diddy has been found guilty by a New York Jury, but only for two of the five counts brought against him. 

The rapper’s verdict is now in after more than six intense weeks of testimonies from over 30 witnesses, alleged victims, and other people connected to the rapper’s charges.

Diddy was arrested last September in New York City after a federal grand jury indicted him on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He has remained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn ever since.

The jury found the rapper guilty of two counts following a deliberation session ordered by Judge Arun Subramanian on the morning of Monday, June 30.

According to CNN, the federal jury found the embattled music mogul guilty on his prostitution charge but acquitted him of the other serious charges. The rapper is now reportedly facing up to 10 years in prison.

Subramanian reportedly studied each of the charges and addressed the eight men and four women jurors with the phrase, “Actions may speak louder than words.” 

The judge urged the jurors to make an independent decision based on their assessment of the witnesses and how credible they found their stories.

Subramanian emphasized that the evidence in the case is testimony, and everyone who participated in the process deserves to be considered when drawing a conclusion.

During the cross-examination of the witnesses, which included former partners and employees of the rapper, Subramanian stated that witnesses with immunity should be examined more carefully than “ordinary witnesses,” per TMZ.

Subramanian noted emphatically that the defendant had no responsibility to testify in the case, which he did not. He added that the juror should not focus on why he should or why he did not.

He also spoke on the related activities identified in the trial, which included arson, bribery, witness tampering, and distribution of narcotics. He informed the jury that, although they would not have charts and summaries in the courtroom, they would receive a detailed copy of his instructions. 

Subramanian stressed the importance of a unanimous verdict to the jury, adding that they must not let news reports about the trial influence their conclusion.

The judge finally thanked the jurors for their incredible service over the past few weeks, having listened to dozens of testimonies and reviewed a substantial amount of evidence.

One of the mogul's former employees, Big Homie CC, claims that his safety could be compromised if the rapper is found innocent in his case.

As noted by The Blast, Big Homie CC stated that since he publicly condemned the rapper, he has received threats of imminent danger, which he knows would be worse if he were to go unpunished.

He plans to relocate outside the United States to protect himself from any attacks. The former bodyguard tagged his move as "indefinitely" and "absolutely."

"He could be out next week. I know if he walks, you know, I'm gonna be target No. 1, which is fine. I'm used to that, you know, it's kind of exciting for me. … In my profession, you know, it's what we live for," the former employee declared.

He also shared that he does not think the rapper would get a lengthy sentence, predicting about four or five years, but not a life sentence.

Diddy's charges and possible sentencing were as follows: 15 years behind bars for sex trafficking, a maximum of 10 years for transporting to engage in prostitution, and a life sentence for racketeering charges.

For Diddy's closing argument, his legal team stood by their claim that the prosecutor's case against Diddy was a weak one. As reported by The Blast, Diddy's legal team argued that the charges lacked sufficient federal evidence to be sustained.

His attorney noted to the jury that while the domestic violence allegations shared by Cassie and another witness may have elements of truth in them, they had no bearing on the case.

One of his defense lawyers, Marc Agnifilo, confirmed that the rapper would have pleaded guilty if the charges were about domestic violence. 

Agnifilo described what Cassie and the rapper shared as a relationship filled with passion, swinging, and activities done with mutual consent, void of coercion or crime.

He reminded the jury about the $30 million civil lawsuit, which Cassie and Diddy had quietly settled the previous year, affirming that the "Me & You" singer had walked away with millions while Diddy had stayed behind bars.

While Diddy's defense team poked holes in the federal charges, legal expert Naema Rahmani is convinced the government has enough to nail the rapper with a guilty verdict.

"I think prostitution is in the bag. It's pretty clear that the entertainers were paid, and they were flown across state lines. There's an interstate nexus," Rahmani argued.

He added that the government can also prove that the mogul was involved in racketeering. Since the term is used to qualify illegal acts committed through a criminal enterprise for profit, Rahmani pointed fingers at Diddy's record label.

The legal expert noted that should Diddy escape a jail term for sex trafficking, he is not safe from getting a life sentence for racketeering. In his words:

"It could be extortion. We heard about Diddy shaking down Regina Ventura. It could be bribery, paying a hundred thousand dollars for the hotel surveillance video."

He continued that racketeering could also come as obstruction of justice and witness intimidation, some of which the entertainer has participated in.