Diddy’s federal sex trafficking trial continued Tuesday in New York, with prosecutors leaning heavily on literal receipts.
According to CNN, DeLeassa Penland, a special agent with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, took the stand as prosecutors presented financial records they say are directly tied to the music mogul.
Among the evidence: records showing the mogul used his American Express card to pay for escort travel and hotel stays.
One of those trips allegedly involved Jules Theodore, an escort previously mentioned in civil filings by Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. In her lawsuit, she claimed she was forced to have sex with Jules during what she described as a “freak-off.”
Prosecutors showed the jury a round-trip flight booked for Jules in July 2010. The itinerary included a one-way flight from Los Angeles to New York on July 29 via American Airlines, and a return flight to L.A. on August 1 via United Airlines. The travel was reportedly charged to Combs’ AMEX card.
Jurors were also shown a $740.35 charge for luxury Diptyque candles, allegedly purchased to set the mood during the encounter. The same credit card was used to pay for hotel stays, including charges for room damages: $500 for drapes and carpets, $950 for deep cleaning due to linen damage, and a staggering $46,786 for “penthouse damage.”
Another round-trip flight was booked for a man prosecutors only identified as “Dave.” All these charges were reflected in an August 23, 2010, credit card statement totaling $108,656. Court documents further revealed that the AMEX card racked up over $944,000 in charges in a single month.
Penland testified that the bill was paid using a Signature Bank account linked to Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide.
While prosecutors acknowledged that some of the escort arrangements may have been consensual, they argue that crossing state lines and exchanging money still meets the federal definition of sex trafficking.
Diddy is facing five federal charges: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and two counts of transporting individuals to engage in prostitution.
The trial is ongoing, but one thing is clear: prosecutors are tracking every dollar.
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