
Security guard testifies: 'He said not to make any big purchases'
According to Eddie Garcia's testimony, once he told Sean Combs "I had it," referring to the InterContinental Hotel's security camera video footage of Combs' 2016 attack on Cassie Ventura, he testified that he was provided with an address that was 20 minutes from the hotel.
"He wanted the video as soon as possible," Garcia told the court.
Garcia testified that someone who introduced himself as Combs' bodyguard met him in the lobby of a building and brought him up to an apartment, where he told the court Combs was "smiling, excited" and looking happy.
"'Eddie my angel,' he was smiling. He said 'come in,' making me feel comfortable," Garcia testified Combs told him. He also told the court that Combs instructed his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, to make Garcia a cup of tea.
Garcia told the court he handed over a USB drive containing the video and assured Combs it was the only copy.
"I told him that I did have a concern that if there was to be a police report made at a later time that it would affect me," Garcia testified. "He said I didn't have to worry about that."
Garcia told the jury that Combs then contacted Cassie Ventura via FaceTime. "She was wearing a hoodie and the lighting wasn't that great," Garcia testified. "Before he passed the phone over to me, he said, 'Let him know that you want this to go away, too.'"
"And how did Cassie respond?" prosecutor Mitzi Steiner asked.
"When I got passed the phone, I said 'hi.' She said 'hi' and she said she had a movie coming out and it wasn't a good time for this to come out and she wanted it to go away," Garcia testified.
Garcia further testified that Combs demanded copies of his ID and those of his supervisor, Bill Medrano, and Henry Elias, another security officer he told the court was on duty the night of the incident.
The jury saw copies of their drivers licenses as well as copies of the non-disclosure agreement and certification that there was only one copy of the video, which Garcia testified he was made to sign.
Garcia then testified that Combs left the room and allegedly returned with a brown bag and a money counter. Garcia told the court that there were "stacks of money being put in through it. Stacks of $10,000 at a time."
"In total at the end, it was $100,000," Garcia told the court.
Garcia testified Combs asked him if he wanted to count the money and he responded, "I said I trusted the machine."
According to Garcia's testimony, Combs and a bodyguard accompanied him out of the suite and walked him to the valet where his car was parked. "He asked me how I would spend the money and I said I didn't know," Garcia testified. "He said not to make any big purchases."
Garcia testified that later, he noticed that neither the incident report nor the video file attached to it were in the hotel's records.
A few weeks later, Garcia testified, he received a message from Combs.
"Happy Easter, Eddie my angel. God is good," Garcia testified the message said before Combs "proceeded to ask if anyone had asked about the video."
Garcia told the court that he told Combs he'd heard nothing.
Garcia's testimony concluded with minimal cross-examination from the defense. Garcia agreed with defense attorney Brian Steel that Combs had treated him professionally.
The next witness is Derek Ferguson, former chief financial officer of Combs Enterprises.