Diddy has launched a new bid to be released from prison, claiming his four-year sentence is too harsh.
The Bad Boy boss was sentenced to 50 months behind bars last year after being convicted of two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution — violations of the Mann Act — but acquitted of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
In a new appeal filed on Friday (March 13), lawyers for Diddy slam the sentence as a “perversion of justice” and argue that the hip-hop mogul should either be immediately freed and granted a judgment of acquittal or for the court to “vacate and remand for resentencing,” according to TMZ.
They accuse Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over the trial, of engaging in “acquitted conduct” sentencing, which refers to the controversial practice of imposing harsher punishments based on rejected allegations.
Puffy’s legal team, who had pushed for him to spend just 14 months in prison, claim that his 50-month sentence effectively punishes him for crimes that he was not found guilty of. They note that the length of his sentence is roughly four times higher than normal for Mann Act-related convictions.
“What is the point of a jury trial if your sentence is driven by what you were acquitted of doing?” the filing asks.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit will now review the arguments, with oral arguments scheduled to take place on April 9.
Diddy is currently set to be released from prison on April 25, 2028, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website.
The 56-year-old is being held at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey that was his preferred location to serve his sentence.
Soon after he was sentenced, Diddy’s lawyers argued that it would be the best place for him to “address [his] drug abuse issues” and “maximize family visitation and rehabilitative efforts.”
In November, the first photos of Puffy behind bars surfaced online, showing him looking in good spirits (albeit with gray hair) while hanging out with other inmates in the prison yard.
However, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing in prison for the “I’ll Be Missing You” hitmaker. Last year, he was reportedly busted for possessing alchohol — specifically a homemade brew known as “hooch,” which is made with Fanta, sugar and apples.
