Crime and Justice
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The infamous and ongoing Sean “Diddy” Combs trial just had a dramatic moment. The judge presiding over the racketeering and sex trafficking case against Mr. Combs warned the defense that he would have their client removed from court if he kept staring at the jury.
According to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, Diddy was “nodding vigorously” at the jury during witness testimony. Such behavior is apparently a no-no, with the judge noting that it was “absolutely unacceptable” that he had already warned the defense about such behavior, according to various reports.
After being admonished (after the jury had been excused for lunch), Diddy defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said, “it’s not going to happen again.”
Telling a multimillionaire what not do, even if his freedom depends on it? Good luck with that. The alleged interaction with the jury occurred during the testimony of Bryana Bongolan, who claims that Diddy dangled her over a balcony back in 2016.
According to NBC News, a court artist confirmed what the judge observed.
Courtroom artist Jane Rosenberg, who has had her eyes and binoculars on Combs for over a month, told NBC News that she has seen him making facial expressions both affirmatively and negatively depending on the testimony, and she has seen him attempting to interact with various members of the jury since the beginning of the trial.
The judge was also clear that if the behaviour does not change, he will remove Diddy from the courtroom for the rest of the trial.
Diddy’s trial is only in its third week and is schedule to last about two months.
See more reactions to this latest development in the comments.
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Mohammed Sabry Soliman, a native of Egypt, appeared in Colorado court on Monday (June 2) in the wake of the Molotov cocktail attack Soliman carried out over the weekend in Boulder. Soliman, who planned the Molotov cocktail attack for a year, delayed carrying out the act until after his daughter’s high school graduation, according to reports.
As reported by local outlet KMGH-TV, Soliman, 45, has resided in El Paso County for three years with his wife and their five children after living in Kuwait for 17 years. Details are still developing in the matter, but reports state that Soliman planned his attack for a year and arrived at Pearl Street on Sunday with a dozen Molotov cocktail bombs.
According to a filed affidavit, Soliman reportedly yelled at officials and onlookers “Free Palestine” and “You’re killing my people” while expressing a desire to “Kill all Zionist people” and wishing for their death across the board.
It has since come out that Soliman was in the United States illegally after his tourism visa expired and was granted a work permit in 2023. Soliman told the authorities that he had planned his attack for a year and wanted to carry out the bombing earlier, but waited until after his daughter graduated. He also told officials he attempted to buy a firearm, but because of his illegal status, he couldn’t do so.
“The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on Monday. “Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world. This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.”
Mohammed Sabry Soliman, who encountered the court on Monday, is facing federal and local hate crime charges, which include 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and other charges. He is being held on a $10 million bond.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ sexual trafficking and racketeering trial continued this week with explosive testimony from a former assistant who tearfully took the stand and levied serious allegations. The assistant, known only to the court as “Mia,” delivered shocking details alleging that Diddy sexually assaulted her several times and that she lived in fear of the mogul.
As spotted in Deadline and Complex, a woman who worked as an assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs rose to the ranks of a high-ranking official in Combs’ Revolt Films. However, the ascension came with a series of conditions that, while alleged, were shocking in their descriptions.
Referred to as “Mia” throughout her testimony, the woman says she began her working relationship with Diddy in 2009, and that he initially greeted her in his underwear in their early days of working together. From there, Mia says she endured several alleged offenses, including rape, assault, abuse, all delivered under Combs’ rigid demands of obedience and around-the-clock working demands.
“It’s the most traumatizing, the worst thing that’s ever happened to me,” Mia said of the rape, assault and workplace abuse. “I was going to die with this, I didn’t want anyone to know ever.”
Mia was asked by prosecutors if she ever rebuffed any of Combs’ advances, to which she explained that she felt powerless to do so.
“I couldn’t tell him no about a sandwich,” Mia answered. “I couldn’t tell him no about anything. “
She continued, “There was no way I could tell him no, because then he would know that I thought he was doing was wrong, and then I would be a target. He would fire me and ruin my future and somehow twist the story into making me look like a threat. I knew his power, and I knew his control over me, and I didn’t want to lose everything that I worked so hard for or this like world that was the only thing that I had anymore.”
Mia was expected to face Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team, which involves cross-examining the witness today (May 30).
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On Wednesday (May 28), President Donald Trump issued an order commuting the federal prison sentence of the former leader of the Gangster Disciples, Larry Hoover. The federal sentence of three life terms was given to Hoover for running the Gangster Disciples from his prison cell. However, Hoover remains in jail for state murder charges in Illinois. Advocates are calling on Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker to give Hoover clemency.Hoover’s commutation was part of a group of 26 acts of clemency and pardons issued by Trump. That group includes rapper NBA Youngboy and reality television stars Todd and Julie Christley. It was announced by the White House’s “pardon czar”, Alice Marie Johnson.
In a separate interview with TMZ Hip Hop, she said that she hoped that Governor Pritzker would consider giving Hoover clemency. Ye, aka Kanye West, has also made pleas to Trump to release Hoover, bringing one of his lawyers to the White House during his first term in 2018, saying it was “very important for me to get Hoover out.”The 74-year-old is currently serving a 200-year sentence for his conviction for murdering rival William Young in 1973. In order for him to be freed, a petition has to be approved by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. Hoover was denied parole in 2022, after letters from Young’s family protested his release.
“I think there’s a mass pressure here for JB to show that he believes in redemption,” said community activist and Hoover friend Ja’mal Green. “If we’re going by what he claims he believes and the policies that he has signed on with his pen then Larry Hoover represents that. This is merely politics if JB Pritzker does not use a stroke of his pen.”“I understand folks on both sides some who quite frankly felt a lot of pain, but also those who can believe in the power of redemption,” said Illinois State Senator Willie Preston, representing the 16th District, to local NBC network News 5 Chicago.
According to a representative for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Hoover remains in custody at the United States Penitentiary Florence ADMAX in Florence, Colorado. There has been no word from Pritzker’s office that signals that they’re open to giving Hoover clemency.
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Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi took the stand this week at the sex trafficking and racketeering trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs, detailing his side of the ordeal and alleging that the mogul attempted to harm him. Kid Cudi testified that he confronted Diddy after an incident involving his car, referring to him as a “Marvel supervillain.”
Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi was in New York at the Manhattan federal court on Thursday (May 22), where Sean “Diddy” Combs has endured brutal testimony from the likes of ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and former recording artist Dawn Richard.
As spotted in Newsweek, Mescudi shared his side of things in the wake of Ventura’s testimony. Ventura shared that she and Mescudi had a brief romantic encounter that was strained by the alleged actions of Combs to keep them apart. According to Mescudi, he was unaware that Combs and Ventura were still an item after he began dating the singer in 2011.
In 2012, Mescudi’s car was set on fire while away from his home, stating from the stand that he later confronted Combs at Soho House in Los Angeles. Combs claimed that he didn’t know anything about the car bombing, according to Mescudi. When asked what his reactions were regarding the car explosion, Mescudi replied on the stand, “Umm, what the f* ck?”
In addition to the exploding car, Mescudi claims that Combs entered his residence in a bid to intimidate the rapper and actor, whilst attempting to sever the connection with Ventura.
Mescudi said he broke things off with Ventura due to what he referred to as “drama” and added that Ventura “played” both him and Combs. He also added that Combs approached him and apologized for all of the alleged actions that took place during the ordeal with Ventura.
On X, reactions to Kid Cudi’s testimony are all over the map. We’ve got the best reactions below.
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The ongoing sex trafficking and racketeering trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs continues to roll on, and more shocking details have been unveiled since its start over a week ago. In a new report, it was shared that the 2024 raid of Diddy’s home turned up baby oil, drugs, and a rubber duck.
The Independent reports that the 2024 raid of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ home in Miami involved several dozen Homeland Security Investigation agents, who discovered several items at the spacious residence. Agents uncovered 25 bottles of baby oil, firearms, MDMA and Xanax pills, bottles of personal lubricants, and the aforementioned rubber duck.
Gerard Gannon, an agent who was involved in the raid, will take the stand in the trial on Wednesday (May 21). Gannon will be joined today by forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes, who also appeared before the court in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation trial in 2022.
Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi is scheduled to testify later this week. Mescudi dated Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and was an alleged target of the mogul’s wrath.
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The sex trafficking trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs heard further testimony from Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who took the stand on Wednesday (May 14) and unveiled some chilling details. Ventura said that Diddy became violent and threatened to harm her and her ex-boyfriend Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi after discovering the pair had entered into a relationship.
Variety reports that Ventura, now married to Alex Fine and expecting their third child, took to the stand and shared how Combs’ violent actions towards her were sparked in the midst of one of the so-called “freak-off” parties. According to Ventura, Combs went through her phone during the party in 2011 and found out she was in contact with Kid Cudi. Ventura added that while Combs gestured towards her with the sharp end of a wine opener, she was able to escape the hotel and met with Mescudi that evening.
Ventura then shared that she went to Combs’ home so they could talk about what he discovered, but said the mogul was “irate” and said that he would hurt her and Mescudi. She adds that Combs allegedly kicked her in the back, causing her to fall to the ground. She added that Combs threatened to leak freak-off footage.
As shared in her initial lawsuit that was later settled, Ventura made mention of the fight with Combs and the threats towards Mescudi, including a portion of the filing that detailed Combs’ intentions to blow up Mescudi’s vehicle, which eventually was a target of a bombing. Mescudi has since confirmed that the incident took place.
Further testimony is expected this week as the trial rolls on after starting in earnest on Monday.
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As the sex trafficking trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs continues, major media companies reporting on the matter have requested to review evidence at the center of the trial. A consortium of media brands filed the request earlier this week, which would allow viewing of the so-called “Freak-Off” footage mentioned in earlier reports.
As reported by Variety, the media companies include the Associated Press, Business Insider, Vox Media, Wall Street Journal, and more, all of which are requesting to view the footage of the parties infamously and allegedly masterminded by Sean “Diddy” Combs. During opening statements heard this week, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, mentioned the freak-off parties and accused Combs of ordering her and others to perform extreme sexual acts.
During her testimony, Ventura, who took the stand while in her third trimester carrying her third child, shared with prosecutors that she had handed over visual evidence via laptops that were in her possession.
“While the News organizations appreciate that some trial exhibits in this case may be sexually explicit and sensitive for the alleged victims, the public and the press should be permitted to view and consider this evidence (which lies at the heart of the Government’s case), consistent with the first Amendment right of access to criminal trials,” read a portion of the media companies’ filing.
Variety adds in their reporting that they are not asking for physical copies of the videos, instead only wanting to view the footage to inform their reporting. Attorney Douglas H. Wigdor, who represents Ventura, has filed to deny the request, writing that the media companies “did not cite any case, and nor are we aware of any authority, granting this unprecedented request in a sex trafficking case to unseal videos depicting coercive sex acts.”
A decision on allowing the media companies to see the footage has yet to be made.
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The sex trafficking trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs is underway after opening statements were heard as the prosecution unveiled their star witness, Cassie Ventura, who took the stand. Among the harrowing details shared by Cassie Ventura, she added that her fear of Diddy’s anger is why she went along with the so-called “freak-off” parties.
We do wish to caution readers before proceeding, as some of the details within will be disturbing to some.
TMZ reports that prosecutors opened up their case on Tuesday (May 13) to discuss the allegations of sexual abuse, violence, coercion, and assault that occurred under Diddy’s watch and direction. Before Ventura took the stand, the prosecution shared that Combs forced his ex-girlfriend to have sex with male escorts, with one allegedly urinating in her mouth under Combs’ orders.
Ventura, who was accompanied by her husband Alex Fine to court, spoke about the 2016 beating at the hands of Combs, sharing that it happened shortly after a freak-off party. When asked why she participated willingly, Ventura shared that she was “confused, nervous. I wanted to make him happy.”
Prosecutors questioned if Ventura agreed to attend the initial freak-off party, and she did so without knowing it would be the start of more.
“Then there were more. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, at least not that frequently,” Ventura told the prosecutors. She added that the fear of retaliation and the threat that Diddy would release the video footage of the freak-off activities kept her from saying anything.
Ventura also told prosecutors that she provided evidence of the freak-off parties, sharing that she provided several laptops that allegedly contained said footage. Amid all of this, Ventura and Fine are expecting their third child.
On X, reactions to the opening statements are in, and we’ve got some listed below.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ high-profile trial will hear opening statements this week, and prosecutors have already suffered a setback. As previously reported, a key witness known as Victim-3 was expected to testify against Diddy but has yet to be found by the prosecution.
Deadline exclusively reports that the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York has been unable to locate Victim-3 after Jane Doe initially stated they would testify in court. Jane Doe was scheduled to state before the court how Combs allegedly used his power and influence to sexually exploit her.
The outlet adds in its reporting that the inability of the prosecution to locate the witness gives Combs’ team fuel to halt the progression of the case in the short term. The defense team might attempt to lay groundwork for a delay in the start of the trial or even a mistrial, although the latter seems far away from the realm of possibility.
According to unnamed sources that spoke with Deadline, it is assumed that Victim-3 has ceased all communication out of a fear for her safety. The witness’s name was shielded from public view and would remain so.
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