The Sentencing of Sean “Diddy” Combs

0:00 Hey everyone, and welcome back to Exposed Scandalous Files of the Elite. I am your host, Jim Chapman, and as I promised I would say four months ago, I believe it's been since Sean Combs was found guilty. I told you that I was going to come back with a full update on the Trial of the Century and the sentencing of Seawan Combs. I did some thirty episodes on this trial as it was going down, and well it has all come down to this. The sentencing of Diddy is in now. Quick catch up on what Shawn Combs stood trial for and what he was actually convicted of. Now, initially he was charged with the very serious charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and sex trafficking, as well as the minor in comparison charges of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under what's known as the Man m Ann Act. Now, at the end of this trial, the two minor chargers were the only charges that Sean did he Combs was found guilty of. Now technically did he could be looking at twenty years total in prison. Each count carries a maximum sentence of ten years, and he's been in jail for a little over a year at this point, so regardless of what sentence he gets, he will get credit

1:32 for time already served. Of course, this entire time, this a little bit over a year that he's been in jail. He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, known as MDC Brooklyn. That is a federal prison that is not exactly known for its five star treatment of prisoners. Let's just say so, did he head it rough, y'all in comparison to how is lot was on the outside. Now he is still Shawing Ditty Combs, And I'm sure he had some benefits of being Shawn Ditty Combs even in prison, But those rough conditions may be deservedly so in my opinion. So I'm recording this on the day of the sentencing, October third of twenty twenty five, Friday, and in a letter to the judge penned by Shawn Combes himself, just yesterday October second, twenty twenty five, Diddy asked the judge for mercy, among other things.

2:33 I have that letter in front of me, y'all know, I like to bring the receipts and give you the full details. So I'm going to read you this letter quickly and again. This is from Shawing Combs to Judge Suburmanian, and it starts I hope this letter finds you well and in good health and spirits. Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts to you. First and foremost, I want to apologize and say how sincerely, so sorry I am for all the hurt and pain that I have caused others by my conduct. I take full responsibility and accountability for my past wrongs. This has been the hardest two years of my life. And he's also talking about the investigation prior to him being in prison. I have no one to blame for my current reality and situation but myself. In my life, I have made mistakes, but I'm no longer running from them. I am so sorry for the hurt that I have caused, but I understand the mere words I'm sorry will never be good enough, as these words alone cannot erase the pain from the past.

3:38 Over the past thirteen months, I've had to look in the mirror like never before. My pain has become my teacher. My sadness was my motivator. I have to admit my downfall was rooted in my selfishness. The scene and images of me assaulting Cassie play over and over in my head daily. I literally lost my mind. I was dead wrong for putting my hands on the woman that I loved. I'm sorry for that and always will be. My domestic violence will always be a heavy burden that I will forever carry. The remorse, the sorrow, the regret, the disappointment, the shame. I honestly feel sorry for something that I couldn't forgive somebody else for if they put their hands on one of my daughters. This is why it's so hard for me to forgive myself. It's like a deep wound that leaves an ugly scar. You're on her. I thought I was providing for Jane concerning her and her child, but after hearing her testimony, I realized that I hurt her for this. I am deeply sorry. I lost my way.

4:42 I got lost in my journey, lost in the drugs and the excess. My downfall was rooted in my selfishness. I've been humbled and broke into my core. Jail is designed to break you mentally, physically, and spiritually. Over the past year, there have been so many times that I wanted to give up. There have been some days I thought I would be better off dead. The old me died in jail and the new version of me was reborn. Prison will change you or kill you, and I choose to live every day since my incarceration. As difficult as my circumstances currently are, I made the best of my time by reading books, writing, working out, or in therapy, obtaining tools in the knowledge to deal with my past drug abuse and anger issues. I've been putting in the work and working diligently to becoming the best version of myself to ensure that I never make the same mistakes again.

5:39 I realize I am in a situation where no amount of money, power, or fame can save me. Only God can save me. My grandmother used to teach me that God makes no mistakes and that everything he does is for your good. I believe that a bad situation can be used for good. Although this situation has been the hardest and darkest time of my life, good things have come out of my incarceration. For starters, I am now sober for the first time in twenty five years. I've been trying my best to deal with my drug abuse and anger issues and take accountability as well as positive steps toward healing. One of the most beautiful things I have experienced is being asked by my fellow inmates to teach and mentor with them. They wanted to learn what I did to become a successful businessman. I was inspired by their hunger and desire to learn information in order to not only set goals, but achieve any goal or dream that their heart desired. I started teaching a six week program called Free Game, a title given by my fellow inmates which I was able to have approved and sanctioned by the Bureau of Prisons. I don't just teach about my success, I also teach about my mistakes and failures.

6:54 It has been a blessing to do something positive in such a negative situation. It has been beautiful to see the newfound hope in my fellow inmates' eyes. The most shocking thing to see was the unity in the peace this class has produced. As you are probably aware, jails and prisons are segregated places. However, in our class, we have Black, Spanish, White, and Asian all together in one room, learning and working together. We even have an interpreter for the Spanish speaking inmates. The biggest miracle that I've seen in the class is all of the gangs such as the Bloods, Crips, MS thirteen Trinitarios, in eighteen streets in one room, working together. I'm also proud to say that since this class started, there have been no fights in our unit. The class has also helped me in my time of need and despair. Being able to do something good for others has also given me much needed hope.

7:50 God has blessed me with this opportunity to help others, and I will continue to do so. I ask you for mercy today, not only for my sake, but for the sake of my chill. God has blessed me with seven beautiful children, three sons and four daughters. Their names are Quincy, just In, Christian, Chance, Jesse, Daliah, and our newest edition, a two year old daughter Love. Four of my children lost their mother, ken Porter, as she tragically passed away in twenty eighteen. I am their only parent. I failed my children as a father. My father was murdered when I was just three years old, so I know firsthand what it is like to not have a father.

8:31 More than anything, I just want the opportunity to return home and be the father that they need and deserve. God has blessed me with the greatest mother in the world. My mother sacrificed her life in dreams to provide for me and my younger sister, Keisha. She worked three jobs to make sure we had a roof over our heads, close on her back, in the best education. My mother is now eighty four years old, and she recently had brain surgery. Despite her own health challenges, she has attended my trial every day. I've always been her primary caregiver. It breaks my heart that I put myself in this situation, and for the first time, I'm unable to be there for my mother when she needs me most. As I write you this letter, I am scared to death, scared to spend another second away from my mother and my children.

9:18 I no longer care about the money or the fame. There is nothing more important to me than my family. I understand the one factor the court has to consider is deterrence. Deterrence for me and for others, to ensure that no one follows in my footsteps and makes the same mistakes. For over a year, I have been locked in one room with twenty five other incarcerated people sharing the same one room. In this room that I share, there are no windows, there is no natural clean air, there is no sunlight, and we all live in one room. We eat, sleep, use the toilet, take showers, and prepare meals, all in the same room. The conditions that my actions have placed me in are inhumane. I don't tell you this for pity or sympathy. I'm simply sharing the truth and the truth of my fellow incarcerated people. We have no clean drinking water and we boil our own drinking water.

10:13 We all share one washing machine, which is broken. I'm surrounded by drugs and live every day with the constant threat of being stabbed or losing my life again. I'm not expecting pity or sympathy, but my time at MDC has changed me forever. Prior to being in jail, I took care of and was present for my family. Being in jail and because of my conduct, I lost the ability to care for my mother. I lost the ability to effectively raise and support my children. I've missed my three daughters proms and graduations. I've missed taking one of my daughters to college. I've lost the freedom to teach my two year old how to speak, dance, play, or be there to consult her when she falls down or has a nightmare. I started from nothing and worked on hard to earn everything I had. But because of my conduct, I've lost all my businesses. I've lost my career, I've lost the charter schools that I started, and I have destroyed my reputation and stained the reputation of those that work for me. I lost my being present with my family.

11:17 Between all of my losses and lessons, I can state for a fact that I will never be in another criminal courtroom again, and do not believe any other person would do anything similar from fear or similar punishment. If you give me a chance, I would like to take the opportunity to share my story with people to prevent at least one person from making the mistakes that I have made. I can't change the past, but I can change the future. I know that God put me here to transform me. Since incarceration, I have gone through a spiritual reset. I'm on a journey that will take time and hard work. I'm proud to say I'm working harder than I ever had before. I'm committed to the journey of remaining a drug free, nonviolent, and peaceful person. I thank God that I am stronger, wiser, clean, clear and sober.

12:06 God makes no mistakes. I realize that this trial has received a tremendous amount of global price, and your honor may be inclined to make an example out of me. I would ask your honor to make me an example of what a person can do if afforded a second chance. If you allow me to go home with my family, I promise you I will not let you down and I will make you proud. Today, I humbly ask you for another chance, another chance to be a better father, another chance to be a better son, another chance to be a better leader in my community, and another chance to live a better life. I am writing this not to gain any sympathy or pity. This experience is simply the truth of my existence and has changed my life forever, and I will never commit a crime again. Thank you for your time and consideration, Shawn Combs. If nothing else, y'all, I'd say that was pretty well written, probably everything the judge wanted to hear. Now, does Shawn Combs believe that in his hard or is that all bullshit? Just to get out of jail. Only he knows him and God know the real truth on that. But I will say it was very well written, very well said. But you have to pay for your mistakes, even if you regrut them. Jim, did you see what happened in Texas today? Wait before you tell me that, Let me tell you what happened

13:38 in New York. It cannot be as crazy as the case I told you about yesterday in Louisiana. You know what, we should do a podcast about it, and with that we did. Crime War Weekly covers the crime news headlines that have dominated the week. We cover trending crimes from all over the country and even sprinkle in a few globally. Crime War Weekly is available now wherever you listen to your podcasts, simply by searching Crime Wire Weekly or clicking the link in the description of this podcast. In these letters to the judge, the typical of anyone who is facing sentencing. The judge is the one who hands down the sentence, and it's customary, it's not required, but it's customary for that defendant to write a letter to a judge expressing remorse, which is what you see with this letter now today as I was looking through the information in the sentencing today. It was interesting that there is a company in New York and the name of this company is called quote same old line Dudes unquote. That's a great name. When I tell you what they do, this company actually hires professional linesetters. So let me break this down to you. If you're a journalist, for example, and you want to in the courtroom for the sentencing in this trial, but you don't want to wait in line several days like this trial required, you have this

15:09 company and you hire them and they'll sit in line for you. You show up the day of just before they let people in the courtroom and boom, front row seat to the hottest sentencing of the century. Now, the same thing for concert tickets or anything else you may need to wait in line for sporting events, whatever. And if you're curious about how much it costs to hire this service, so I look that up to every four hours is one hundred dollars. So twenty four hours in line, they'll wait twenty four hours in line for you for six hundred dollars. And this company is seen everywhere in line in the past couple of days for the Combs trial, and y'all, I'm going to upload a picture on the Patreon of the company set up. It is freaking cool. Man.

16:01 These people have like one person tents and they have the logo of this company on the tents. And these tents keep them out of the weather and the elements. Now how they go to the bathroom, I don't know. Maybe they got a five gallon bucket and these little one person tents. But the picture is absolutely one of the coolest things I've ever seen. It's actually a genius idea. They don't have nothing like that here in Louisiana that I'm aware of, but hey, who knows. It's got my brain turning. I may start a line waiting business for Louisiana wait for those LSU tickets and whatnot. But back to it. Also, prior to the sentencing, both the prosecutors and the defense team they send recommendations to the judge. Now, especially as it relates to the prosecution, the judge takes that into consideration he can impose whatever sentence he wants.

16:53 In this case, they make recommendations of what they want and both do it, the prosecution and the defense. And in the case of the prosecution, they're requesting eleven years in three months total for both counts, and the defense is requesting fourteen months, which is about the time did He's been in prison already, so it would be time served for Diddy and he would be released. Now at nine am, comes mother arrived, eighty four year old mother, poor lady at the courthouse, flanked by other family members. And an hour later, at ten am, Shawn Comb's entered the courtroom. And when I quote these times, these are Central Standard times, Louisiana times. Shawn Combs entered the courtroom.

17:38 He was wearing a cream sweater with a white button down shirt underneath, and he had black pants on. He hugged his legal team and he glanced over at his family. Now, shortly after that, the judge entered the courtroom and we got under way, and the judge came out. He confirmed that he had received letters from all sides, and he mentioned that he read all that material in full and in somewhat of a surprise. One of the ladies who testified in the trial, if you'll remember, she went by the name Mia. She was scheduled to read a victim impact statement. However, it was announced at this time during the sentencing that she would not be doing that. Not sure what that meant. Maybe she just figured, look, he's going to get sentenced to what he gets sentenced to, and I don't want to go through any more of this.

18:32 Maybe she was intimidated, have no idea, but she decided not to read her victim impact statement in the court room. Early on in the sentencing, the judge didn't that Comb still contends he was paying those escorts for their time and not for sex. And look, this judge ain't stupid. He knows did He didn't want to just spend time with a bunch of escorts. He wanted sex, and he wanted sex to be formed in front of him. And we've been through all that, so I want rehash it. But that's something he should have said. Okay, you know I wanted them there for the sex. He also needed that because Combs still refused to take responsibility for that, it would be a consideration when the sentences passed down.

19:19 So at this point it ain't looking as good as it could have looked for Shawn Combs. The prosecution also reminded the judge that did he did much more than just transport people to engage in sex. They said, Combs did not deny abusing Cassie and said, quote, this type of harm is real, deeply intimate, and very personal. And it's at this point that the court takes a five minute recess, and upon returning, Combs sees his family in the gallery and he makes the heart signal if you will, to his chest several times. The defense then had the opportunity to start their for a shortened prison sentence for Ditty, and they detailed several speaking engagements that he already had booked for October should he be released, and folks here they're attempting to paint a narrative that Ditty, should he be released, would be a productive member of society. They also pointed out what they turned as his many contributions to the world, especially as it relates to his effort to hire members of the inner City in New York, and they highlighted his work within the black community. They also highlighted what they described as a whole that would be left in the black community should did he be sentenced to an extended period of jail time. They said that although Diddy appeared larger than life, he's a human being.

20:50 He makes mistakes, and they made note that Diddy is now cleaning sober for the first time in the past twenty five years, and the bad decisions that he had made throughout those twenty five years of his life were a direct result of drug addiction. Comb's children then address the courtroom, and of course they all pleaded for Combs to get a light sentence. And I can't blame them there. I mean, there are children here. I save this a lot. There are always victims on both sides of a crime, and it's in all cases the family of those that commit the crimes that are also victims. And they got up there they pleaded for his release and it was kind of an emotional moment, and at this point Sean Combs actually broke down for the first time in public.

21:39 He just started bawling. He buried his face in his hands, started crying. And look, shame will make you do that. I don't care how strong of a human being you are. When you are so ashamed of yourself because you see what you have done for your kids, that will drive you to do what he did in that courtroom, which is just break down. And from all accounts it did appear genuine and not an act now. Incidentally, at this point in the sentencing, there are about thirty members of Combe's family inside the courtroom. After several people had spoke, they broke for lunch, and after lunch, the defense continued and they said upon his release, Combs would go into immediate therapy and his plan was to go to Miami because that's where his mother lives and he would only be steps away from her. They share properties in Miami and he could care for her. The defense also brought up in court what they call genuine psychological issues with Shawn Combe, saying he has long suffered from mental health issues.

22:46 They claim it started with the killing of his father when he was just a child, and they stated that to this day he has PTSD because of it. Then it was Shawn Combe's turn to address the court, the first time he has spoken publicly since his arrest, and he was quoted as saying, I ask your honor for the chance to be a father again. I ask your honor for the chance to be a son again. I ask your honor for the chance to be a leader in my community again. I asked your honor for a chance to get the help I desperately need. To become a better person, because I don't want to let God down and I don't want to let my family down.

23:26 He went on to say, I don't have nobody to blame but myself. I know I'll never put my hands on another person again. I know that I've learned my lesson. I'm willing to comply with any conditions the court puts upon me given the chance. When we talk about the possibility of me sharing my story, it's not just a scheme to try to get less time. It's that this story is real and this story is tragic. He then went on to say, sometimes, no matter who you were before, you get so shaken, it just changes your trajectory. It just changes you, and it changes you for the better. Sometimes you have to go through life experiences. These are not excuses. I can't change the past, but I can change the future. He went on to say, growing up as a kid, I wanted to be a shining example of what we could do. I say we as people of color, that we could own our own businesses, take care of our own communities, raise our own children, solve our own problems, create our own wealth, and take care of our own problems. That was my mission. I got lost.

24:36 I'm not this bad person. I'm sorry to my community for letting y'all down. He then addressed his children and he said, I want to apologize to my seven children, and he turned around to face them in the gallery and name them, and he went through that and he said, y'all deserve better. He then addressed the judge again and he said, your honor gave me the confidence to believe in the jury and to believe that I I didn't have to testify. The jury came and sacrificed their time in the summer. They sacrificed time with their children, and I thank them for the not guilty verdicts. He discussed the man conviction and he said, I don't take lightly my man Act conviction. I understand the severity of it, and I'm having to deal with the consequences, and I take full accountability and responsibility. He then said, now I know the prosecution wants you to make an example of me.

25:28 I just want you to think about making an example of what a person could do if they get another chance, if you give me another chance and won't let you down. And the evidence of that is these beautiful children that got up there and spoke for me. I would never ever ever jeopardize being in this situation again, being away from my family that needs me. That's my deterrence. And with that he completed his statement and the judge addresses Shawan Combs directly, stating that he wanted to start by making it clear that comes as being sentenced for the offenses of his conviction the man at charges, and not the sex trafficking and racketeering charges that he was acquitted of.

26:12 He said he is considered the fact that Seawan Diddy Comb's is a self made artist and businessman who has inspired and lifted up communities and noted his work and impact or celebrated and even iconic. He said Comb's successes are even more impressive given the struggles of his childhood. Quote the drugs may have exasperated your iraq and violent behavior over the years, However, the court has to consider all of your history here. He noted that comes work history impact on the Black community in entrepreneurship are celebrated and iconic and said quote especially impressive giving the early violent death of your father and the trauma that that must have left you. The judge also said there's no question Shawn did he Combs as devoted to his family.

27:02 The judge, however, said he rejects the defense attempt to characterize the freak Ass and hotel knights as intimate consensual experiences or just sex, drugs and rock and roll stories. Quote a history of good work cannot erase the power and control you had over the women you profess to love dearly. You use them physically, emotionally and psychologically, and you're used to getting your way. The judge added, I was sitting right here during the testimony from Cassie and Jane. He went on to say the court is not assured that if Diddy Combs was released, these crimes would not be committed again. He said that acts of sexual violence are unfortunately common, and a substantial sentence would be given to send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability. He noted that Sean Diddy comes out actions were serious offenses that harmed to women who still feel the effects today. Quote the conduct that curved for over a decade and with tremendous frequency over that time period. Why did it go on so long? Because you had the power and the resources to keep it going and because you weren't caught.

28:20 And with that he imposed a sentence with Sean Diddy Combs being sentenced to fifty months or just over four years in prison for his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. And there you have it. It all came down to that, and with his time served of a little over a year, he has about three years left. However, assuming that he keeps out of trouble, he's probably looking in the neighborhood of doing about half that. I wouldn't be surprised if Shawn Combs gets released maybe Christmas time next year or shortly thereafter, as seeming he has good behavior and all those sorts of things. But what are your thoughts? Was it not enough time? Was it too much time? Now? I took personally into consideration.

29:24 This is hard to do because we know a lot about Shawn Combs outside of what he was convicted of. So it's hard to kind of say, Okay, let's just look at what he was convicted of and put everything else as if we knew nothing else about Shawn Combs. And when you do that, what he's essentially convicted of is flying in prostitutes for sex, and when you look at it on that frame, and he has two counts of that, when you look at that at that frame and nothing else, nothing else taken into consideration. Yeah, four years seems almost successive for basically for someone's flight when they agreed to it to come in and have sex with in his case, his girlfriend. So that and on its face does seem excessive, but it's exactly how a judge said in this case. You have to take his entire history into consideration when you do that. And I'm not talking about all the civil rapes and stuff that he's accused of, because he hasn't been convicted of any of that yet. But when you just kind of look at his history as it relates to all the other shit, the abuse and things that he was doing. He's on video beating the shit out of Cassie, those sort of things.

30:47 I think he got everything he deserved, and he probably should have got more. He could have got eleven years. He actually is lucky he had a defense team that really dominating a lot of aspects of this trial, in my opinion, but he could have done all eleven years that the prosecution was asked for Hell, he could have done twenty technically, so he's really getting off easy. But considering the charges he was convicted of, that's all I'm looking at when I say this. Maybe even a little excessive for that, but with his history, he deserved every bit of it. That's my opinion. Love to hear yours, you know why posted underneath in the comments of when I post this episode on Facebook. Maybe put in the comments what your thoughts are. Thank you so much for listening, Thank you so much for supporting and speaking of that, if you are a Patreon Global Celebrity member, you got two gifts headed your way. You've got quarter two. If you were a member of the Patreon Global Celebrity Tier in the second quarter, that gift is headed your way, and if you were a member in the third, the second and the third quarters, two gifts are headed your way.

32:08 If you were a member in the third quarter, one gift is headed your way. Fourth quarter gifts going out either mid December or early January. And if you're wondering what the fuss is all about, check out the Patreonpatreon dot com slash exposed podcast files. I put all kinds of stuff on that page bonus episodes early releases that are commercial free. So if you don't like listening to the commercials, I get it. That's why we offer a Patreon and that level starts at two dollars and fifty cents a week, y'all, so go check that out, and until next time for exposed scandalous files of the Elite, I'm your host, Jim Chapman. Much love,