After Cassie Ventura completed her fourth day of testimony in the sex trafficking trial of ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs, prosecutors called a federal agent to the witness stand late Friday afternoon.
Special Agent Yasin Binda of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) works in the department’s human trafficking division.
Binda testified in Manhattan federal court, and said she coordinated logistics for Diddy’s arrest in New York City on Sept. 16, 2024, according to CNN.
The special agent said Combs was taken into custody at “The Park Hyatt, room 2115, where he was staying.”
The music mogul’s arrest came six months after agents raided his mansions in Los Angeles and Miami in March 2024.
Binda told the court her role during the arrest was to take pictures and log seized items onto a government form.
Baby Oil and Lubricant:
The special agent said there were Ziploc bags filled with Johnson’s baby oil and bottles of Astroglide lubricant in the entryway closet of the room. Agents found more lubricant and baby oil in a bathroom.
“This shows five bottles of baby oil that were found in the bathtub,” Binda said, as she held a picture of the baby oil while Combs looked on in the courtroom.
Binda also provided a photo of a device that could be used for “mood lighting.” She told the court the items in the hotel room appeared to be supplies for “freak offs.”
Special agent Yasin Binda, shows evidence photos from the hotel where Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested, including baby oil, during Combs’ sex trafficking trial in New York City. Courtroom sketch by Jane Rosenberg pic.twitter.com/DH0jenLMze
— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) May 16, 2025
Drugs:
Binda said agents found a hard drive, and a Louis Vuitton bag that had a prescription bottle inside with the anxiety drug clonazepam under the name “Frank Black,” an alias Cassie Ventura previously told the court Combs used.
There were bags containing pink powder that tested positive for ketamine and MDMA, the special agent testified.
Agents also seized a black fanny pack containing $9,000 cash. Binda held the bag in her hands.
“Please take the cash out of the bag,” prosecutor Madison Reddick Smyser said.
The special agent removed the cash and fanned the bills. “No further questions,” Smyser said.
Defense attorney Teny Geragos briefly cross-examined Binda.
“In the hotel room, did you see any bags and clothing indicating that a woman was staying with him there?” Geragos asked.
“Yes,” Binda replied. The woman’s identity was not revealed.
Dawn Richard Testifies:
Prosecutors called their next witness, R&B singer Dawn Richard.
Richard was a member of the groups Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money, both of which Combs formed.
She filed a civil lawsuit against him in September 2024. The singer accused the Bad Boy Records founder of assault, sexual battery, withholding her earnings, and other allegations.
Richard has known Combs since she competed on Making the Band in 2005, and he selected her to be in Danity Kane.
Combs jokingly raised his hands as Richard pointed him out in court.
LIVE UPDATES: Shortly after Cassie finished testifying on Friday, prosecutors called another witness who was once close to Combs: Dawn Richard, a singer who appeared on his reality show “Making the Band.” https://t.co/AfjbZoGroX
— FOX 5 NY (@fox5ny) May 19, 2025
Richard told the court she witnessed Combs physically assault Cassie multiple times. She recalled an incident in 2009, when Cassie was “attacked by Sean Combs.” She said it happened while she and her Diddy-Dirty Money bandmate Kalenna Harper were at the mogul’s house.
She testified that she was in the kitchen with Cassie, who was cooking eggs for Combs.
“He came down the stairs screaming, belligerent, asking where his food was and proceeded to hit her over the head and beat her on the ground in front of us,” Richard testified, according to Reuters.
Richard said Cassie reacted quickly and went “into the fetal position” to protect herself.
The next day, Combs called Richard and Harper into a recording studio, locked the door, and told them what they saw was “passion” between lovers, Richard testified.
The singer said Diddy gave her and Harper flowers and warned “where he comes from, people go missing if they talk.”
Richard said she was afraid and remained silent about what she saw.
The singer is expected to return to the witness stand on Monday.
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