Guessing Christmas wasn’t quite Christmas for Sean “Diddy” Combs who asked the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene immediately and order his release from federal custody before Christmas, arguing that his current prison term ignores the jury’s verdict and violates constitutional sentencing rules.
Get this, in an emergency motion that was filed Dec. 23, Combs claims his 50 month sentence is unlawful and should be vacated or reduced at once. He is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey, following a July 2025 conviction on two Mann Act counts involving the transportation of adults across state lines for prostitution.
While Combs was convicted on those charges, the jury rejected the government’s broader case. He was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking accusations that alleged he operated a criminal enterprise fueled by drugs, violence, and orchestrated sexual encounters prosecutors labeled “freak-offs.” Jurors dismissed those claims in their entirety.
Despite the acquittals, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian imposed a sentence exceeding four years. During sentencing, the court described Combs as a “coercive” and “manipulative” abuser. The appeal contends those conclusions were based on conduct the jury expressly declined to find proven.
According to the pre Christmas filing, the district court “acted as a thirteenth juror” by relying on contested testimony and acquitted conduct to justify what Combs argues is the harshest Mann Act sentence imposed in modern practice. His legal team maintains that such reasoning directly conflicts with current sentencing principles.
The motion underscores a core theme of the appeal with a blunt reminder: “Not guilty means not guilty.” In support, Combs cites recent guidance from U.S. Sentencing Commission Chair Carlton Reeves that discourages courts from enhancing sentences based on conduct a jury has rejected.