Recaps of the Test Day of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs 19: The security guard says that Combs paid him $ 100,000 for an assault video

A security guard at the hotel told the Jury of the Sean “Diddy” trial on Tuesday in the sexual trafficking in Combres and the racketeering that the rap magnate had paid him $ 100,000 to try to guarantee his silence and bury a video which is now the central piece of proof in the criminal case that threatens to send him to life prison.

In the video captured in 2016 by security cameras at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles – and shown in the jury during the testimony of three different witnesses – Combs is seen kicking and dragging her ex -girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Ventura, a musician who testified as a star witness to the government, said that she was trying to escape Combs and one of her orgies fueled by drugs, called “freak-offs”.

“When I chose to leave, I caught what I could and I went out,” said Ventura during the second week of the trial. “Sean followed me in the corridor before the elevators and caught me, threw me on the ground, gave me kicks, [and] I tried to get back into the room. “”

Combs pleaded not guilty to the accusations of the case. His lawyers said Combs assumes “full responsibility” for domestic violence captured in the video, but affirms that the rap magnate did not commit the sexual trafficking, the racketeering conspiracy and the prostitution alleged by the federal prosecutors.

The security goalkeeper of the Eddy Garcia hotel said on Tuesday that Combs was working frantically to make sure that video surveillance has never seen the light of day, paying $ 100,000 to get what the Combres thought was the only copy of the recording.

“He feared that this video will come out and to ruin her career,” said Garcia. According to Garcia, Combs has promised “he would take care of me” and end up paying $ 100,000 in cash which he then called “Eddy My Angel”.

When the video was obtained by CNN last year, the conviction was rapid and led to take on public apology, saying that he was “really sorry” for his conduct and that he “asked for professional aid” after the incident.

The prosecutors argued that the payment of $ 100,000 in Combs in Garcia was a bridge pot and one of the underlying crimes at the heart of their allegation according to which the hip-hop superstar is guilty of racketeering. They allege that Combs realized that the episode could reveal years of criminal conduct and could withdraw the curtain on how the magnate used its commercial empire to force women in sex, threaten them in silence and protect its public reputation.

The trial should resume Wednesday when three other witnesses should take a stand.

Frank Piazza, a video expert, should be the first witness followed by Bryana Bongolan, who alleged that the banes threatened to kill her by swinging her on a balcony in the presence of Ventura. Bongolan has done similar allegations in a civil affair, which Combs denied.

A woman called “Jane” should take the position on Wednesday afternoon and testify for five days, according to prosecutors. Jane is expected to be the third and last alleged victim to testify against Combs.

The security guard testifies to the alleged effort of Combs to bury the assault video

Garcia testified on Tuesday that he had heard of the assault shortly after going around for his work quarter at the intercontinental hotel on March 5, 2016. Garcia told the jury that he had understood that the police had not been contacted at the time because Ventura had not asked for medical or police attention.

About an hour after his quarter of work, Garcia explained to the jurors that he had received an unexpected call on his work phone from the Combs assistant, Kristina Khorram, who asked for a copy of the security video. Although he told her that she should contact the hotel management or obtain an assignment to see the images, Garcia said Khorram arrived in the hotel hall an hour later to watch the recording.

“She asked for the video and if there was a way, she could see him,” he said. “She wanted to know what they were dealing with.”

Garcia said he apologized and said he couldn’t show him, although he testified that he had warned him: “From the record: it is bad”.

That evening, Garcia testified that he had again received a call on his personal cell in Khorram. He told the jury in a few seconds, a significantly “nervous” comb came to the other end of the line, trying to explain his actions.

“He asked me if I knew who he was. I said yes,” said Garcia. “Mr. Combs looked very nervous. I was just talking about very quickly. He just said that he had a little too much to drink and that I knew how things were with women when one thing led to another.”

Garcia testified: “He said that I looked like a good guy, whom I seemed to want to help, that something like that could ruin him. He feared that this video is coming out and that it ruins his career.”

He said he also remembered that Combs said to him: “He would take care of me.” After Garcia informed Combs that he would accept $ 100,000 in exchange for video, Garcia testified that Combs “seemed excited” and “called me” Eddy My Angel “.”

“He wanted the video as soon as possible,” Garcia told court. He explained that he had then received an address about 20 minutes by car from the Intercontinental hotel, where he was to trade.

The security guard tells to get $ 100,000 in cash at combs

Once he came to the designated location with a thumb campaign containing what he said was the only copy of the video, Garcia told court that someone who had presented himself as the Combres bodyguard had brought him to an apartment. He said he remembered having seen “smiling, excited” combs and the air happy.

“Eddy my angel, he was smiling. He said” enter “, making me feel comfortable,” said Garcia Combs had told him, adding that Combres asked Khorram to give him a cup of tea.

After Garcia assured Combs, the reader had the only copy of the video, the rap magnate would have contacted Ventura on FaceTime so that she could communicate that she also wanted the video to disappear.

She wore a hooded sweatshirt, and the lighting was not so great, “said Garcia about Ventura.” Before you pass the phone, he said to me, “Let him know that you want it to disappear too.” “”

“And how did Cassie replied?” Prosecutor Mitzi Steiner asked.

“When I succeeded in the phone, I said,” Hi “, she said” Hi “and she said she had released a film and it was not the right time for it to come out and she wanted it to disappear,” replied Garcia.

Garcia told the jurors that Combs demanded that he sign a non-disclosure agreement, accepts a certification that there was only one copy of the video and putting his identifier as well as the identifications of his supervisor and his colleague. Garcia then testified to the comb leaving the room and returned with a brown bag and a silver counter, which the combs fed “batteries of $ 10,000 at the same time.”

“In total, at the end, it was $ 100,000,” he said.

Garcia testified to the combs and a bodyguard then accompanied him from the rest and walked to the valet where his car was parked.

“He asked me how I would spend the money and I said I didn’t know,” said Garcia. “He said he did not make big purchases.”

A few weeks later, Garcia said he had received a Combs message. “Happy Easter, Eddy my angel. God is good,” Garcia remembers the message, saying that Combs “asked if someone had asked questions about the video.” He said he had heard nothing.

The jury sees an alleged paper trace of 2011 the payment of extortion

After Garcia’s testimony on the acceptance of a payment of $ 100,000 in combs, the prosecutors have called the longtime employee of Combs, Derek Ferguson, to explore the financial structure of the Combs Empire. Prosecutors argued that Combw companies have doubled as a criminal company that allowed the rap magnate to commit crimes for years with little repercussions.

Ferguson, who worked as a financial director for Bad Boy Entertainment for 12 years, traveled the jury through Combs bank accounts, financial agreements, how companies have managed money and how the employees were reimbursed for the expenses invoiced to their corporate cards. Several of the personal assistants in Combs have testified to the charge of purchasing supplies for monsters, including gallons of baby oil, sex lubricant, drugs and alcohol.

The jurors also saw documents showing a series of wire transfers in 2011 to and since Cassie Ventura’s mother. While Ferguson said he did not know the reason for the payment of $ 20,000, the jurors last month heard Regina Ventura, who testified that she and her husband contracted a loan on investment to finance payment. She said Combs asked to “recover” the money he had spent for Cassie Ventura “because it was angry that she had a relationship with Scott Mescudi.” Mescudi is also a well -known rapper, playing under the name of Kid Cudi.

The jury saw a transfer of December 14 of an account created to manage Combs house in Alpine, New Jersey, Cassie Ventura for $ 20,000. On December 23, the same account collected $ 20,000 to the father of Ventura. Four days later, on December 27, the account transferred $ 20,000 for “fundraising”.

Regina Ventura said that she had decided to send the money because she feared her daughter’s safety after Combs threatened to publish explicit videos of her. Combs finally returned the money, she said.

During his counter-examination, Combres lawyer, Marc AGINFILO, tried to use the 19 years of Ferguson’s experience to work with Combs to launch a doubt about the way the prosecutors described the Combs Commerce Empire. .

“Have you seen someone help Sean Combs commit crimes?” Asked Agnifilo.

“No,” replied Ferguson.

“Have you seen someone help Sean Combs commit acts of violence?” Asked Agnifilo.

“No,” replied Ferguson

“Have you seen someone making the business stronger thanks to threats of violence?”

“No.”