Mark Geragos, a lawyer with a long-standing relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs, believes that the music mogul should be concerned about sexual assault in prison.
Geragos, whose daughter, Teny, is a member of Diddy’s defense team, spoke with TMZ’s Harvey Levin about Diddy’s upcoming 50-month sentence in federal prison on the 2 Angry Men podcast.
When asked by Levin (around the 2:50 mark) if Diddy should worry about sexual or other kinds of assault while locked up, Geragos said that he should.
“It’s a prison. You always have to watch your back — literally,” said Geragos. “If that’s the case, you’re never out of the woods until you’re released. If you are in a camp or a low-level designation, your odds go down dramatically.”
Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Geragos gave his thoughts about prosecutors revealing during the sentencing that Diddy had already scheduled speaking engagements as if he were getting released immediately after sentencing.
“A lot of times, you find people in these situations and high profile people make decisions that aren’t the best,” said Geragos. “I think he’s earnest about wanting to better himself.”
Geragos’ belief that Diddy’s life in danger echoes what the mogul’s lawyer, Brian Steel, claimed during sentencing. While speaking to the judge during the hearing, Steel said that Diddy was targeted to be shanked by a prisoner while at MDC Brooklyn.
“Sean is not a typical person in custody, everyone knows him,” said Steel. “It’s a trophy for them, they get recognition if they harm him.”
Diddy was sentenced to four years and two months in prison, in addition to having to pay a $500,000 fine for two counts of violating the Mann Act. He will receive credit for the 13 months that he’s already served in jail.
The mogul’s legal team has already announced its plans for an appeal. Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, claimed that Judge Arun Subramanian’s belief that the sexual encounters in the case were non-consensual was "absolutely inconsistent with the jury's verdict."
Agniflo added that the team was attempting to “find the right facility for Mr. Combs,” but is also “very serious about pursuing an appeal.”