Diddy sat still in a Manhattan federal courtroom Tuesday (July 1) afternoon as jurors announced they had reached decisions on four of five criminal charges but remained at odds over the most serious allegation — racketeering conspiracy.
At 4:05 p.m. ET, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian read a note from the jury stating they had reached unanimous verdicts on Counts 2 through 5 but were split on Count 1.
That charge accuses the Bad Boy Records mogul of running a criminal organization that trafficked women, laundered money and used violence to maintain control — the centerpiece of the federal government’s case.
The judge declined to reveal the jury’s decisions on the four resolved counts, which include two charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and two counts of transporting women across state lines for prostitution.
Instead, he instructed the panel to continue deliberating on the racketeering charge, hoping to reach a unanimous verdict.
The jury will return Wednesday morning (July 2) to resume discussions. If they remain deadlocked on Count 1, the court could accept the partial verdicts and declare a mistrial on the unresolved charge.
The deliberations have stretched into a second day and have already produced five notes to the judge. One note raised concerns about a juror’s ability to follow legal instructions.
Another note asked for clarification on drug distribution, specifically whether handing over controlled substances at someone’s request constitutes distribution. That inquiry came as jurors reviewed testimony involving alleged drug use and transactions during private encounters described in court.
Jurors also requested transcripts of testimony from Cassie Ventura and Daniel Phillip. Ventura, a former girlfriend of Diddy, testified about a 2016 incident at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles and described events that occurred during a trip to the Cannes Film Festival.
She also detailed so-called “freak offs” involving Phillip, a sex worker allegedly hired by Diddy. Phillip’s testimony included descriptions of encounters at the Essex Hotel. Jurors asked for specific portions of his statements related to those events.
Diddy, who has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty, faces five federal charges. If convicted on all counts, he could face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
Deliberations will resume Wednesday morning as jurors attempt to reach a consensus on the racketeering conspiracy charge.