Ex-Prosecutor Is 'Doubtful' Diddy Will Be Convicted on the Most Serious Charges He Faces

A former federal prosecutor tells PEOPLE he believes Sean “Diddy” Combs will be acquitted on sex trafficking charges — the most serious charges he faces in his federal trial.

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and legal commentator, says he’s “doubtful” the jury will convict on either of the two sex trafficking counts, citing the high bar required to prove force, fraud or coercion.

“The defense obviously made a pretty strong argument that all of this was consensual,” he says.

Jurors have already reached verdicts on four of the five charges against Combs: two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. But they remain deadlocked on one count of racketeering.

That charge, Rahmani says, could hinge on whether jurors agree there was a broader criminal enterprise, even if they don’t find Combs guilty of sex trafficking. “You can get to racketeering” with other predicate acts like drug distribution, he explains, adding that “in some ways,” racketeering is easier to prove than sex trafficking.

He adds that if jurors are going to reach a full verdict, it’s likely to come soon.

“Never underestimate the power of a three-day weekend,” Rahmani says, referencing the upcoming July 4 holiday. “We get 12 strangers motivated to get their act together.”

The verdicts for the other counts have not yet been read in court.

More than 30 witnesses testified during the weeks-long trial including Combs’ ex-girlfriend and the prosecution’s star witness Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and rapper Kid Cudi.

During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Combs coerced Ventura and another woman who testified under the pseudonym “Jane,” to participate in drug-fueled sex sessions called “freak off” parties or “hotel nights.”

Combs was also accused of running a criminal enterprise with the help from his staff and inner circle that committed crimes including arson, bribery and kidnapping.

“The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said during closing arguments, the Associated Press reported. “He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law.”

Combs, she said, enlisted his “close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant’s every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs,” according to the AP.

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His defense attorney argued that Combs was innocent of all charges against him.

“Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him,” attorney Marc Agnifilo said, per AP.

During the trial, the jury was also shown a video of Combs chasing and attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel lobby in 2016. She alleged the attack took place after she tried to escape a Freak Off session.

Combs declined to testify during the trial.