On Friday, jurors in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial were shown new photographs and detailed testimony describing what federal agents found when they raided the hip-hop mogul’s New York City hotel suite eight months ago.
Special Agent Yasin Binda of Homeland Security Investigations took the stand to describe the scene inside Diddy’s multi-room suite at the Park Hyatt in Manhattan. She said the arrest happened in the hotel lobby, but the search upstairs revealed a range of personal items prosecutors say are consistent with the charges against him.
According to Binda, agents discovered several ziplock bags filled with Johnson & Johnson baby oil and sex lubricant — some stored inside the bathtub and others in a nightstand by the bed. In total, at least seven bottles were recovered.
Photos shown in court also included a Louis Vuitton bag containing a prescription bottle under the name “Frank Black” — one of Combs’ known aliases — alongside separate pill bottles filled with ketamine and MDMA.
A black fanny pack was also seized, which held eye drops and $9,000 in cash. Binda, still on the stand, cut open the evidence bag containing the money and fanned the bills in front of the jury.
Lighting inside the room was also noted. Binda described a corner of the suite with blue “mood lighting,” which prosecutors say is consistent with the environment described by women involved in the case. Those women — including Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura — have testified about being coerced into drug-fueled “freak offs” during their time with the music executive.
An external hard drive was also recovered from the room, though details on its contents have not yet been revealed.
The latest testimony adds to a growing body of evidence the government says supports its case of trafficking, racketeering, and coercion. Combs, who has pleaded not guilty, continues to maintain his innocence as the trial continues.
