USA TODAY reporter explains ‘Diddy’ sentencing
USA TODAY’s Aysha Bagchi breaks down Sean “Diddy” Combs’ 50-month prison sentence after the embattled hip-hop mogul was convicted in his landmark federal sex-crimes case.
Sean “Diddy” Combs may have a new legal home, but his eye remains on freedom.
The embattled music mogul’s bid for an early release from prison gained some momentum Nov. 3 after a judge signed off on expediting the appeal process, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
In October, Combs, 56, was sentenced to 50 months, roughly four years, in prison after he was convicted on sex trafficking charges.
Combs, who had been held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest in September 2024, was reportedly transferred to FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey on Oct. 30. The Grammy-winning rapper is set to be released from prison on May 8, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ online database.
In a ruling from Judge Beth Robinson in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Robinson granted Combs’ legal team’s request to fast-track the appeals process schedule to kick off in December.
The U.S. government, the opposing party in Combs’ federal case, did not oppose the proposed schedule, according to earlier court documents. USA TODAY reached out to Combs’ representatives for comment.
The legal win comes after attorneys for Combs filed a notice of appeal in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Oct. 20.
After a federal sex trafficking investigation and a series of sexual abuse civil lawsuits, Combs was arrested on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The Bad Boy Records founder went to trial in May, during which prosecutors presented their case that Combs led a “criminal enterprise” that operated on sex trafficking, kidnapping, drug offenses and forced labor, among other crimes.
On July 2, a 12-person jury handed down a split verdict that acquitted Combs of the most serious charges, racketeering and sex trafficking. Combs was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
He has denied all charges brought against him.
Why does Diddy want to speed up appeal process?
According to Combs and his legal team, the music mogul has been serving his debt to society.
In their request for an expedited appeal schedule, filed Oct. 29, Combs’ attorneys noted that the rapper has already served about 14 months of his 50-month sentence because of the prison time he has accumulated since his arrest.
Additionally, Combs may be eligible for reductions on his sentence under the Residential Drug Abuse Program and the First Step Act, both of which aim to reduce recidivism among prisoners through targeted rehabilitation programs.
“To ensure that Mr. Combs could meaningfully benefit from any appellate ruling vacating his sentence, we have proposed a schedule that would expedite this court’s consideration of Mr. Combs’ appeal,” the filing said.
According to the approved expedited schedule, Combs’ opening brief and appendix for his appeal are due by Dec. 23, followed by the U.S. government’s brief deadline of Feb. 20, 2026. Combs’ response to the government’s brief will then be due by March 13, 2026, and oral arguments can begin as early as April.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Brendan Morrow and KiMi Robinson
