The empire is gone, but the influence remains.

This week on "Zone 7," Sheryl McCollum and journalist Lauren Conlin discuss Sean “Diddy” Combs’ life inside federal prison, from coveted assignments and rule violations to the month of good time he lost. Drawing on her extensive coverage from jury selection to sentencing, Lauren explains how Diddy's actions inside prison expose the difference between reputation and reality.

Their conversation then turns to the NBA's gambling scandal, where federal investigators are piecing together evidence from rigged poker games, high-stakes payouts, and the athletes now under scrutiny.

Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.

Highlights:

• (0:00) Welcome to Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum and guest Lauren Conlin

• (0:30) Lauren on her new Los Angeles Magazine role and coverage of the Diddy trial

• (3:15) Revisiting earlier predictions: Diddy’s special treatment and coveted prison job

• (5:00) Sentencing day details: defense missteps, emotional pleas, and the judge’s “severe sentence” remark

• (10:15) Prison conduct issues: alleged alcohol incident, phone call violations, and loss of release time

• (13:00) Diddy’s Thanksgiving initiative with inmate group “Bankroll Bosses”

• (14:45) Sheryl reflects on Diddy’s physical transformation, rehab reports, and adapting to life in prison

• (21:30) NBA gambling scandal: Chauncey Billups, mob-linked poker games, and the $50,000 payoff

• (26:15) Mountain of evidence: texts, surveillance, and why the case could drag well into 2026

• (31:30) Who flips First? Cooperation deal and the government’s strategy to secure testimony

• (32:45) Sheryl closes the episode with a Diddy quote on prison life




Guest Bio:

Lauren Conlin is a New York based journalist and contributor for Los Angeles Magazine, recognized for her coverage of high-profile federal trials and celebrity cases. A former HLN and CNN correspondent, she is regarded as one of the most trusted voices in pop-culture crime and justice.



About the Host

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a Metro Atlanta Police Department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide.

With more than 4 decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.

Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for "CSI: Atlanta" and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

• Twitter: @149zone7

• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

• Instagram:@officialzone7podcast



Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, "Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life, Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist," releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824

 

The empire is gone, but the influence remains.
This week on "Zone 7," Sheryl McCollum and journalist Lauren Conlin discuss Sean &ldquo;Diddy&rdquo; Combs&rsquo; life inside federal prison, from coveted assignments and rule violations to the month of good time he lost. Drawing on her extensive coverage from jury selection to sentencing, Lauren explains how Diddy's actions inside prison expose the difference between reputation and reality.
Their conversation then turns to the NBA's gambling scandal, where federal investigators are piecing together evidence from rigged poker games, high-stakes payouts, and the athletes now under scrutiny.
Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps&nbsp;others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.
Highlights:
&bull; (0:00) Welcome to Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum and guest Lauren Conlin
&bull; (0:30) Lauren on her new Los Angeles Magazine role and coverage of the Diddy trial
&bull; (3:15) Revisiting earlier predictions: Diddy&rsquo;s special treatment and coveted prison job
&bull; (5:00) Sentencing day details: defense missteps, emotional pleas, and the judge&rsquo;s&nbsp;&ldquo;severe sentence&rdquo; remark
&bull; (10:15) Prison conduct issues: alleged alcohol incident, phone call violations, and loss of&nbsp;release time
&bull; (13:00) Diddy&rsquo;s Thanksgiving initiative with inmate group &ldquo;Bankroll Bosses&rdquo;
&bull; (14:45) Sheryl reflects on Diddy&rsquo;s physical transformation, rehab reports, and adapting to&nbsp;life in prison
&bull; (21:30) NBA gambling scandal: Chauncey Billups, mob-linked poker games, and the&nbsp;$50,000 payoff
&bull; (26:15) Mountain of evidence: texts, surveillance, and why the case could drag well into&nbsp;2026
&bull; (31:30) Who flips First? Cooperation deal and the government&rsquo;s strategy to secure testimony
&bull; (32:45) Sheryl closes the episode with a Diddy quote on prison life 
Guest Bio:
Lauren Conlin is a New York based journalist and contributor for Los Angeles Magazine, recognized for her coverage of high-profile federal trials and celebrity cases. A former HLN and CNN correspondent, she is regarded as one of the most trusted voices in pop-culture crime and justice. 
About the Host
Sheryl &ldquo;Mac&rdquo; McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a Metro Atlanta Police&nbsp;Department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners&nbsp;with colleges and universities nationwide.
With more than 4 decades of experience, she has&nbsp;worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which&nbsp;integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.
Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore&rsquo;s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for "CSI: Atlanta" and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.
Social Links:
&bull; Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
&bull; Twitter: @149zone7
&bull;&nbsp;Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
&bull; Instagram: @officialzone7podcast 
Preorder Sheryl&rsquo;s upcoming book, "Swans Don&rsquo;t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life, Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist," releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.
<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824">https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-</a><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824">McCollum/9798895652824</a>
&nbsp;

Work a cold case alongside investigator Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, Director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute. Every week, Sheryl dives into her cold case files alongside accomplished guests to look for clues into unsolved murders, missing people, and more. This ain’t just a podcast but a war room. Sheryl opens her cold case files, her heart and her little black book! You will quickly realize Zone 7 is not a place but a lifestyle!

Work a cold case alongside investigator Sheryl “Mac” McCollum, Director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute. Every week, Sheryl dives into her cold case files alongside accomplished guests to look for clues into unsolved murders, missing people, and more. This ain’t just a podcast but a war room. Sheryl opens her cold case files, her heart and her little black book! You will quickly realize Zone 7 is not a place but a lifestyle!

Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum

Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ Special Treatment in Prison | NBA Stars Caught in a Gambling Web

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9e9d5316-86f8-4242-9c36-b3ad00e72556/transcript

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