Lockdowns, fights as Diddy awaits sentencing in jail
Combs, 55, has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 2024 arrest.
The facility, which has also held convicted sex traffickers like British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and rhythm and blues singer R Kelly, is a far cry from the luxurious Los Angeles and Miami mansions Combs called home until last year.
After the verdict was read on Wednesday, Combs' lawyers asked US District Judge Arun Subramanian to release him on $US1 million ($A1.5 million) bond ahead of his sentencing, expected to take place by October.
"I understand that you don't, that Mr Combs does not want to go back to the MDC," the judge said. Combs shook his head.
His hopes of returning to one of those homes and the embrace of his family after being cleared of the more serious charges were soon dashed.
The judge denied Combs' request for bail, citing evidence of his violent behaviour presented during the trial.
In recent years, MDC has been plagued by persistent staffing shortages, power outages and maggots in inmates' food.
Two weeks after Combs' arrest, prosecutors announced criminal charges against nine MDC inmates for crimes including assault, attempted murder and murder at the facility in the months before Combs arrived.
In January of last year, a federal judge in Manhattan declined to order a man charged with drug crimes to be detained pending trial at the MDC, calling the conditions there an "ongoing tragedy".
Last August, another judge said he would convert an older defendant's nine-month jail term to home incarceration if he were sent to MDC, citing the jail's "dangerous, barbaric conditions".
The US Bureau of Prisons, which operates MDC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bureau has said it takes its duty to protect inmates seriously.
During the eight-week trial, US Marshals transported Combs to and from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan each day from the facility in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighbourhood, which has also housed former cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and Luigi Mangione, accused of killing a health insurance executive.
Bankman-Fried has since been moved to a low-security prison in California and is appealing his fraud conviction and 25-year sentence. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
A jury found Combs not guilty on Wednesday on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, sparing him a potential life sentence, but convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution that could land him in prison for several years. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Combs' defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in court on Wednesday that Combs had been housed in "a very difficult part of the MDC" where there have been fights.
His lawyer Alexandra Shapiro said in a November 2024 court filing that frequent lockdowns at the facility had impaired Combs' ability to prepare for trial.
On Wednesday, Combs' lawyers praised MDC staff, who they said had facilitated their access to him during the trial.
"Despite the terrible conditions at the MDC, I want to thank the good people who work there," defence lawyer Teny Geragos told reporters after the verdict.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Two sailors rescued after ‘cool, calm and collected' orcas ram yacht
Sailors encountering orcas in British waters have been warned to switch off their engines and lower their sails or risk being rammed after the animals targeted a yacht in Spain. Two sailors were saved by the Spanish coastguard after their vessel, Azurea, was targeted by the orcas off the coast of the Basque country on Monday afternoon. The French yacht was rammed about 2pm local time, two nautical miles from the Basque coastal town of Deba in northern Spain. The coastguard rescued the pair, one of whom was aged 60, after they sent out a mayday distress call. Both were taken 'safe and sound' to the port of Getaria. Rescuers said such incidents were 'uncommon' so far north in the Atlantic. While such incidents are rare in the Basque Country, they are a well-known phenomenon further south in the province of Galicia and in the 'orca alley' of the Strait of Gibraltar, where boats have been sunk. The orcas approach from the stern and hit the rudder before losing interest once they have stopped the boat in a phenomenon that scientists have struggled to fully explain. It is thought the orcas responsible for the incidents number 15 out of a pod of 50 whales. This latest incident comes in the same month that wildlife experts confirmed the first ever sighting of Iberian orcas in Cornish waters. In 2023, a killer whale barged into a fishing boat near Shetland in Scotland in what was the first and, so far, only orca attack in British waters since the phenomenon began.
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Two sailors rescued after ‘cool, calm and collected' orcas ram yacht
Sailors encountering orcas in British waters have been warned to switch off their engines and lower their sails or risk being rammed after the animals targeted a yacht in Spain. Two sailors were saved by the Spanish coastguard after their vessel, Azurea, was targeted by the orcas off the coast of the Basque country on Monday afternoon. The French yacht was rammed about 2pm local time, two nautical miles from the Basque coastal town of Deba in northern Spain. The coastguard rescued the pair, one of whom was aged 60, after they sent out a mayday distress call. Both were taken 'safe and sound' to the port of Getaria. Rescuers said such incidents were 'uncommon' so far north in the Atlantic. While such incidents are rare in the Basque Country, they are a well-known phenomenon further south in the province of Galicia and in the 'orca alley' of the Strait of Gibraltar, where boats have been sunk. The orcas approach from the stern and hit the rudder before losing interest once they have stopped the boat in a phenomenon that scientists have struggled to fully explain. It is thought the orcas responsible for the incidents number 15 out of a pod of 50 whales. This latest incident comes in the same month that wildlife experts confirmed the first ever sighting of Iberian orcas in Cornish waters. In 2023, a killer whale barged into a fishing boat near Shetland in Scotland in what was the first and, so far, only orca attack in British waters since the phenomenon began.
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Traumatic': Rosie Roche's sudden death at age 20 leaves Royal family in shock as cause of death revealed
Rosie Roche, the 20-year-old second cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, was found dead at her family property earlier this month. Ms Roche, the granddaughter of Princess Diana's uncle Edmund Roche, died at her home in Norton, near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, on July 14. She was reportedly found by her mother and sister while packing for a trip away with friends. A formal investigation has now revealed the cause of death was a 'traumatic head injury.' A firearm was located near her body at the scene. The inquest was formally opened at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court and adjourned until October 25. According to The Sun, area coroner Grant Davies told the hearing police had "deemed the death as non-suspicious and there was no third-party involvement." Rosie was related to the British royal family through her grandfather Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy, who was the maternal uncle of Princess Diana. Born on June 21, 2005, Rosie was the eldest child of the Hon (Edmund) Hugh Burke Roche and his wife, Phillipa (Pippa) Roche. She was a bright and talented student who just finished her first year studying English literature at Durham University, she was described by staff and students as full of life, energy and creativity, with a deep love for literature, poetry and travel. Her family also echoed their grief in a statement by the Yorkshire Post on Saturday, July 19, calling her a 'darling daughter' and 'incredible sister'. A spokeswoman said she "will be sorely missed". It's understood a private family funeral will be held for Rosie, with a memorial service to be held at a later date. The heartbreaking news comes months after the death of Thomas Kingston, the husband of royal family member Lady Gabriella Kingston, who died by suicide in February 2024 at the age of 45. Lady Gabriella, 44, is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. An inquest later revealed Mr Kingston had suffered a "traumatic head wound" and that a firearm had been found near his body, with similar conditions to Rosie's death. While Princes William and Harry have not yet released a statement, Rosie's death has sent shockwaves through the family and broader community. If you or anyone you know needs help: Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 Lifeline – 13 11 14 Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 Domestic Violence Helpline – 1800RESPECT
