Frank Piazza, video expert, called to the stand
Court is in session and the government has called its first witness: a forensic video expert named Frank Piazza.
Piazza was sworn in and took the stand wearing a dark suit.
Bryana Bongolan, a Ventura friend, to testify with immunity
Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Combs’ former girlfriend and key government witness Cassie Ventura, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
The witness has been told she won’t be prosecuted as long as she tells the truth on the stand, prosecutors said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what Bongolan could say that’d put her into any legal jeopardy. Bongolan has alleged that Diddy dangled her over an apartment balcony during a previous altercation.
Earlier this week, hotel security guard Eddy Garcia also invoked his rights against self-incrimination. It turned out that he testified about helping Combs team secure video of the mogul’s beating of Ventura.
Court is in session
Court is now in session for Day 16 of Combs’ racketeering and sex trafficking trial.
Former CFO of Bad Boy Entertainment detailed Combs’ business finances
Derek Ferguson, the former chief financial officer of Bad Boy Entertainment, testified yesterday and detailed the structure of Combs’ businesses.
His testimony confirmed that Combs had signatory power over the funds, and prosecutors will likely use this to argue that Combs may have run a criminal enterprise.
Ferguson stated he never witnessed Combs commit violence or a sexual assault. But he did confirm that a $20,000 payment was made from Ventura’s family to Combs in December 2011.
Ventura’s mother, Regina Ventura, previously testified that Combs demanded the family pay $20,000 to keep him from releasing sexually explicit videos of Ventura after he learned she was seeing rapper Scott Mescudi, also known as Kid Cudi. She also told the court she received the money back days later.
Woman disrupted court yesterday, shouting ‘Diddy’s innocent!’
A woman disrupted court yesterday morning, shouting in Combs’ defense — “It’s not right what they’re doing to him!” and “Diddy’s innocent.”
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered court marshals to escort her out. The uproar unfolded before the jury was seated.
Hotel security officer testified yesterday that Combs paid $100K to suppress assault video
Eddy Garcia, a former security supervisor at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, testified yesterday that Combs and his team desperately wanted to get the sole copy of the security video that showed the music mogul attacking Ventura in March 2016.
In exchange for $100,000 divided among the hotel’s security team members, Garcia testified that he signed a nondisclosure agreement that called for his silence and the destruction of evidence.
Garcia admitted on the stand that he was so “nervous” about the NDA that he didn’t read it all before he signed it. He said the Combs presented stacks of cash in a brown paper bag and that he used his share of the money to buy a used car.
Who is expected to testify today
Frank Piazza, a forensic video expert, and Bryana Bongolan, who alleges that Combs dangled her over an apartment balcony, may testify today.
Yesterday, prosecutors said they were concerned about Victim-2’s identity, who is referred to with the pseudonym “Jane.” Jane is expected to take the stand tomorrow.
