The dismissal of a juror kicked off the sixth week of testimony by the prosecution, which stated it had 5 witnesses left, together with a legislation enforcement agent and one other former assistant
After every week dominated by one in all Sean “Diddy” Combs’ most up-to-date girlfriends, who was the second testify to witness anonymously underneath a “pseudonym,” the prosecution in New York is down to 5 witnesses left as they construct their case towards the hip-hop mogul.
The hip-hop mogul has been charged with intercourse trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to have interaction in prostitution. He is maintained his innocence. If convicted on all costs, which additionally embody arson and bribery, Combs may face a compulsory 15-year jail sentence, with the potential for life behind bars.
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The lady testifying underneath the title “Jane” had been concerned with Combs for roughly three-and-a-half years, as much as his arrest in September 2024. She detailed comparable allegations to an earlier girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, citing Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit as an eye-opening second for her — although it didn’t finish their relationship.
One other girlfriend testified anonymously underneath the title “Mia,” whereas the jury heard extra testimony from Ventura’s mom and Scott “Child Cudi” Mescudi, who was romantically concerned with Ventura whereas she was nonetheless with Combs.
A number of workers members who’ve labored for Combs’ varied enterprise enterprises through the years have additionally testified, as have lodge workers the place his “freak offs” occurred, and investigators concerned within the raid on his Miami house and investigation into his affairs.
A centerpiece of the prosecution’s case has been the viral video of Ventura’s bodily assault within the hallway of the InterContinental Resort in Los Angeles in 2016, with jurors reliving that story from a number of people, together with a safety guard who alleged he was paid $100,000 by Combs immediately to offer him the one copies of that altercation.
Because the prosecution argues coercion, the protection is countering with consent. However each side agreed that with a view to unravel the case, there can be numerous witnesses and numerous stunning particulars about Combs’ sexual proclivities.
You’ll be able to make amends for the primary 5 weeks of testimony on the following hyperlinks:
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Week 6, Monday
Escort Flight Plans (Intercourse Trafficking?)
The subsequent witness known as to the stand was one other abstract witness. This time, U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace particular agent Deleassa Penland was introduced on to debate flight information, starting with a person named Jules Theodore, a frequent escort rent for Combs and Ventura “freak offs.”
The Washington Put up notes the chart has 71 entries, with Penland telling the court docket they solely included people for whom they’ve video footage confirming they had been at a “freak off.”
This can be a key element of the federal government’s efforts to construct a case of intercourse trafficking, as Theodore traveled from Los Angeles to “celebration” for one weekend in December 2009 on the London Resort in New York.
Penland testified {that a} flight itinerary and lodge preparations had been made for a go to to the London Resort between December 11 and 14. The journey costs are being introduced in court docket as assist for the costs of transportation to have interaction in prostitution costs.
She learn aloud in court docket some messages between Combs and the person coordinating journey for this journey. Combs adopted with an e mail to the private finance director for his government workplace saying he wanted to ebook a flight underneath the person’s title, per CNN.
The finance director despatched Combs again a flight itinerary, with Penland testifying that Theodore’s flight itinerary was present in Combs World’s information. Flight information for Theodore and Ventura positioned each of them in New York at the moment. Information additionally confirmed that flights and accommodations had been paid with Combs’ American Specific card.
A journey bill for Ventura’s October 10, 2012 flight from LA to NYC was despatched to Unhealthy Boy Leisure. This was adopted on October 13 with a message from Combs asking if she was “prepared for tonight.”
Messages from Ventura with two separate males had been then present giving them data for a room in New York reserved underneath the title “Janet Clark.” One of many males texted he was in one other room, reserved underneath the alias “Frank Black.”
Each rooms had been paid for with money and an American Specific card, totaling $795.63 on the Trump Worldwide Resort & Tower, together with a film, breakfast, and refreshments. There have been movies from these “freak offs,” recorded October 14, recovered from Ventura’s machine.
On one other event, in 2013, texts between Combs and Ventura had been proven surrounding establishing a “freak off” with 4 totally different males to “have a good time Christmas.” Texts then present Ventura coordinating with one service and the opposite males individually to arrange staggered arrival instances.
Protection Addresses Textual content Exchanges
Paralegal specialist Ananya Sankar with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York continued her abstract cross-examination because the protection dug into some texts and exchanges from “Jane,” the current ex-girlfriend of Combs whose testimony dominated a lot of the final week in court docket.
In a single message from Valentine’s Day 2022 shared with the jury, Jane expressed she was “excited to shock him” in a message to Combs then-chief of workers Kristina Khorram, sharing photographs of a lodge room adorned with rose petals and coronary heart balloons.
Just some days later, Khorram reached out twice to Jane to inform her Combs was pushing her to determine plans. Jane replied, “My reply to him isn’t any and it’s nonetheless no.” Khorram stated she’d relay the message, however to let her know if something modified.
Highlighting one other trade about the place funding is perhaps coming from for Combs’ extracurricular actions, protection lawyer Teny Geragos famous a message from former head of safety Damion “D-Roc” Butler the place he requested for approval for a disbursement from an account recognized as ‘PD private.’
That is important for the protection to try to present that funds from Combs’ enterprise enterprises weren’t used for any of those actions, because it weakens the federal government’s racketeering claims.
Textual content messages additionally gave some perception into Combs’ relationship with Khorram, with an trade from November 2023 — shortly after Cassie’s lawsuit — displaying she was prepared to name him out. “If you happen to can’t be sincere with me, this doesn’t work,” she wrote. “Everyone knows what your Kryptonite is and the place you don’t make one of the best decisions.”
Within the messages shared with the jury, Khorram advised Combs that him holding issues to himself is what put them on this “state of affairs we’re all in proper now.” She advised him she felt they had been about to relive it over once more, per NBC Information.
She advised the hip-hop mogul she thought he was being dishonest together with her, to which Combs responded, “Come take my cellphone.” Khorram stated it wasn’t about that and if he was beginning to mislead her, it could “break” her.
Diddy Crew’s Efforts to Attain ‘Mia’
Combs’ workers was holding tabs on him within the wake of Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit that uncovered “freak offs” to the world. The jury noticed texts from former head of safety Damion “D-Roc” Butler, who checked up on Combs, telling him, “If you happen to want an actual buddy, I am right here.”
In addition they revisited some message between Butler and “Mia,” an alias utilized in court docket by a former assistant who selected to testify anonymously, the place Butler had given Combs Mia’s quantity after which was working because the intermediary trying to get Mia to both take Combs’ calls or name him herself.
“Your boy stated to name him. He doesn’t need or want you to do something. He simply known as me,” Butler texted her on December 5, 2023. Two months later, he despatched her, “Good morning. How are you doing? Did you ever communicate to P. He known as me a pair days in the past.”
At the same time as Butler was attempting to speak with Mia, he was sending Combs copies of the responses he was getting in February 2024.
“Let me know while you attain her,” Combs replied after Butler despatched him a message from Mia on February 4saying that her debt was her drawback and she or he’d determine it out sooner or later.
Combs additionally tried to succeed in her a number of instances himself over the following few days.
On February 7, he despatched her, “Hey. I don’t wanna be blowing up your cellphone. Simply wanted to speak to you for 10 minutes. Simply want my reminiscence jogged on some issues. You had been my proper hand for years, so I simply to talk to you to recollect who was even round me. And it could be good to listen to your voice. However in the event you don’t need to, all good. Simply let me know. Love. Hope you’re nicely.”
He then despatched a duplicate of that message to Butler, including, “I’ve been attempting to succeed in her, she ain’t selecting up the cellphone.” Butler then tried to name Mia twice; she didn’t reply.
On cross-examination, protection lawyer Teny Geragos confirmed that Butler advised Combs Mia’s quantity was ringing as if she was in a foreign country on the time, and that there aren’t any information of Combs trying to name Mia once more after that.
Texting About ‘Freak Offs,’ Medicine & Violence
On Monday morning, the jury reviewed a number of emails between Combs’ former chief of workers Kristina Khorram and varied private assistants about planning and establishing “freak offs” at accommodations for him and Ventura in 2016. These texts had been learn with paralegal specialist Ananya Sankar on the stand as a abstract witness.
The jury was then proven comparable messages from November 2021, nonetheless involving Khorram, referring to coordinating a “lodge night time,” which is what his most not too long ago girlfriend, who testified nameless as “Jane,” known as “freak offs.” These had been occasions allegedly involving a girl concerned with Combs romantically having intercourse with a employed man whereas Combs watched and directed from the facet (and generally obtained concerned).
In a textual content from Combs on November 14, 2021, the mogul advised Khorram he did not need the lodge to know that it was him reserving the room so he would not must cope with “unneeded costs.” Numerous lodge staffers have testified that “freak offs” usually led to extra cleansing costs.
One other trade shared with the jury, this one dated February 2022, talked about how Combs’ “injury costs on the one lodge are all the time excessive.” This may correspond to Combs’ time with “Jane,” who known as the occasions “lodge nights.”
A message despatched to her from Khorram advised her to ask the lodge “if they’ll deliver up like 15 bathtub towels.” Jane responded that Combs all the time introduced money and requested his safety deliver round $5-10k — with Khorram relaying this request to Combs.
On prime of textual content exchanges about establishing and managing lodge rooms, the jury noticed exchanges involving Combs, Khorram and different workers members about shopping for medication from a seller dubbed “Guido.”
In a single thread, Faheem Muhammad, Combs’ head of safety, will get approval to pay 1000’s of {dollars} to Guido for medication, together with marijuana, on a thread together with Combs, Khorram, Guido, and Combs’ accountant.
One other thread confirmed Combs confirming an order of “Molly, 15 tablets,” which he stated he wanted Muhammad to choose up earlier than a flight to Miami. He then instructed Khorram to not textual content about it, per NBC Information.
There have been additionally textual content messages associated to a few of the alleged violence Ventura had beforehand testified she endured throughout her decade-long relationship with Combs. In Might 2017, she texted Khorram “wtf” and advised her she “ought to discuss to him.”
“Nobody deserves being dragged by their hair,” Ventura texted Khorram. “I locked the door for my security.” She additionally stated she had no belongings or cash together with her. Khorram replied she would attempt to discuss to Combs and assist Ventura get her issues.
Sankar additionally shepherded the jury by revisiting voice messages after Ventura’s lawsuit between Combs and Jane, that she didn’t know he was recorded. There have been additionally photographs from round that point, dated December 28, 2023, recovered from Khorram’s machine that had been from one other cellphone.
“I don’t consider the lovey dovey stuff. You don’t have to go there for me. I used to be confused and couldn’t focus for 3 years and really feel extraordinarily exploited, heartbroken and manipulated by you,” learn one message written from Jane to Combs.
One other acknowledged, “You’re the one opportunist right here. You exploited the fuck out of me. You win. 3 years of getting used and also you had three years of enjoyable with my physique.” Jane had testified sending each of those letters.
Just a few hours after the photographs of those messages had been taken, Jane texted Khorram, “he simply threatened me about my intercourse tapes that he has of me on two telephones. He stated that he would expose me and ship them to my youngster’s father.”
‘Cowboys’ Stand Out in Resort
The primary witness known as by the prosecution was a abstract witness. These are people known as by the federal government to submit abstract charts into proof to assist the jury acquire extra readability across the testimony of different witnesses.
That is completed by getting into issues like textual content messages and different related data into proof with out particularly having them introduced up as dialogue factors in testimony.
Ananya Sankar is employed by the federal government on the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York. She testified that she had reviewed and will confirm the accuracy of those charts summarizing prosecution reveals.
On the stand, Sankar stated she had reviewed lots of of pages of paperwork associated to this case, together with textual content messages, cellphone name logs, audio recordsdata, movies, and pictures.
She learn aloud a textual content trade about “freak offs”/”lodge nights” between oft-mentioned then-chief of workers Kristina Khorram and one in all Combs’ assistants, Ryan Lopez. A lodge supervisor in Week 2 cited Lopez’s title on the account used to ebook Combs’ lodge rooms.
“Lol assume I noticed one of many cowboys at the moment. You’ll be able to spot them in a foyer like a escort. I forgot to inform you about it,” Lopez texted Khorram on December 29, 2019, as learn aloud by Sankar in court docket.
Khoramm despatched again 4 laughing face emojis and the query, “Btw how lengthy is he gonna keep awake?” Lopez replied, “Lol I’m guessing till tomorrow night time.” That corroborates tales from each Ventura and “Jane,” who acknowledged that one service used to seek out escorts was known as Cowboys 4 Angels. In addition they each acknowledged these classes may go a number of days.
Choose Dismisses Juror Over ‘Inconsistencies’
After 5 full weeks, Choose Arun Subramanian adopted by on final week’s intention to dismiss juror quantity 6 over inconsistencies in his solutions about the place he lives. The protection argued that this dismissal of a Black juror for a white alternate would impression the range of the jury.
Subramian argued that “it could be improper to let the race of the juror and the alternate juror issue into the right course right here all.”
As for the juror, he additionally declined the protection’s want to enable him to be questioned additional, as he fearful it could give him one other likelihood to “shade” his solutions.
Subramian stated that when questioned final week, the juror appeared to be making an effort to remain on the jury. He additionally stated there’s some proof he could also be appearing with a private agenda.
Juror quantity 6 was changed with the primary alternate, a 57-year-old white man who works as a producing architect with a grasp’s diploma in mechanical engineering. He advised the court docket he is heard some media protection of the allegations towards Combs on the radio.
The decide additionally acknowledged there is a matter with a unique juror — that’s fully unrelated to the juror quantity 6 state of affairs. He stated he intends to additional query that juror after the jury is dismissed at the moment.