Renowned music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has enlisted the legal representation of Alexandra Shapiro, who also happens to be the counsel for Sam Bankman-Fried. Diddy’s move comes following a judge’s ruling that keeps him detained as he awaits trial for grave charges including racketeering and sex trafficking.
Bankman-Fried previously engaged Ms. Shapiro for his appeal after he was convicted in March and subsequently sentenced to 25 years for his role in the FTX crypto exchange collapse. Shapiro, infamous for filing a 102-page appeal to the Second Circuit, alleged judicial bias and requested a retrial for Bankman-Fried. However, the general legal consensus leans towards skepticism regarding the appeal’s victorious prospects.
The criminal magnate is currently serving his sentence at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), a location notorious for its harsh conditions. Interestingly, Diddy, due to his pending sentencing, shares the same penal home. The unusual happenstance? These two high-profile personalities are roommates in the MDC according to the New York Times. Both are housed in the same unit of the prison, sharing a “dormitory-style room” with other inmates.
Prosecutors slapped Diddy with severe charges including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking of minors, and transporting for prostitution on September 12. If convicted, he faces severe sentences. Each of these charges carries steep sentences. Notably, the sex trafficking alone could land him life in prison with minimum sentences ranging from 10-15 years, depending upon the age of the victims.