Sean Combs’ Projected Prison Release Date Set for May 2028
Federal authorities have projected that Sean “Diddy” Combs will complete his prison term in the spring of 2028, marking the first official estimate of when the 55-year-old music executive could regain his freedom.
According to Bureau of Prisons records reviewed this week, Combs is on track to finish his 50-month sentence on May 8, 2028, provided he receives standard good-conduct credits and no presidential clemency. The calculation is based on the time served since his initial arrest in September 2024.
Combs was sentenced on October 3 to four years and two months in federal prison after a Manhattan jury found him guilty on two counts of violating the Mann Act, the federal statute barring the transportation of individuals across state lines for prostitution or other commercial sex activity. He was acquitted on more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
The verdict followed a months-long trial that exposed allegations from several former girlfriends and associates who accused Combs of coercion, violence, and transporting sex workers between states during the height of his entertainment empire. Prosecutors described a pattern of “systemic abuse enabled by wealth and influence,” while the defense argued the case was built on “recycled claims and unreliable witnesses.”
Federal probation officials had recommended a guideline range of roughly six to seven years, and prosecutors pushed for an 11-year sentence. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ultimately imposed a shorter term, citing Combs’ lack of prior criminal history but emphasizing the need for deterrence. “A substantial sentence must be given to send a message,” the judge said from the bench. “Victims who have the courage to testify deserve to see that accountability is possible.”
Combs’ attorney, Teny Geragos, requested that the court recommend her client be placed at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal correctional institution in central New Jersey. In an October 6 filing, Geragos said the facility would allow Combs to “address substance-abuse issues” and “maintain family visitation while engaging in rehabilitative programs.”
Judge Subramanian declined to make a specific recommendation. Combs remains housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while the Bureau of Prisons determines his final designation.
Fort Dix, located roughly 80 miles south of Manhattan, has housed a number of high-profile inmates, including former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli and Real Housewives of New Jersey figure Joe Giudice.
Combs has filed a notice of appeal challenging both the conviction and the length of his sentence. His legal team is expected to argue that evidence admitted at trial unfairly prejudiced jurors and that the Mann Act counts were misapplied to consensual relationships.
At the same time, Combs’ representatives have confirmed outreach to former President Donald Trump, seeking a potential pardon should Trump return to office. Trump has a history of extending clemency to members of the rap and hip-hop community; in the final hours of his 2021 term, he granted relief to Lil Wayne, Kodak Black, and Michael “Harry-O” Harris, the co-founder of Death Row Records.
If his appeal fails and no pardon is issued, Combs will remain in federal custody until May 2028. The projected release date includes approximately one year of credit for the time already served since his arrest and standard reductions for good behavior. Upon release, he would face three years of supervised probation and restrictions on business travel without prior authorization.
