Judge Arun Subramanian, an Indian-origin judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, sentenced Sean "Diddy" Combs to 50 months in prison on charges related to transporting women across state lines for prostitution. In addition to the prison sentence, Subramanian also imposed a $500,000 fine, the maximum allowed.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Subramanian addressed Combs directly, questioning the length of time the offenses went on. He reportedly asked, "Why did it happen so long? Because you had the power and the resources to keep it going, and because you weren't caught". He also lauded the women who testified against Combs, stating, "You stood up to power," and emphasizing that they gave a voice to many others who had experienced similar abuse.
Subramanian rebuffed the defense's attempt to downplay Combs' actions as merely consensual encounters, stating, "The court rejects the defense's attempt to characterize what happened here as merely intimate, consensual experiences, or just a sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll story". He further added, "This was subjugation, and it drove both Ms. Ventura and Jane to thoughts of ending their lives," referring to two of Combs' ex-girlfriends, Casandra Ventura and a woman known as Jane, who accused Combs of forcing them to participate in sexual acts with male escorts which he would film and masturbate to.
Prior to the sentencing, Combs pleaded for leniency, expressing remorse and a desire to be a better person. "I ask your honor for a chance to be a father again, a son again ... a leader in my community again ... for a chance to get the help that I desperately need to be a better person," Combs said, also apologizing to his family. He also sent a four-page letter to the judge, stating that he was "broken to my core" and had "lost my way...lost in the drugs in the excess".
Arun Subramanian is the first South Asian-origin person to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He was nominated by President Joe Biden in March 2023. During the vote to confirm Subramanian's appointment, Senator Chuck Schumer remarked that Subramanian had dedicated his career to fighting for average Americans and is an expert in consumer protection, with years of experience defending those injured by unfair, illegal practices, and victims of child trafficking. Subramanian's parents immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1970s. His father was a control systems engineer, and his mother was a bookkeeper.
