Witness: Joseph Cerciello

Joseph Cerciello’s Testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Trial: Days 27-28 Highlights On June 20 and June 23, 2025, during Days 27 and 28 of Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York, Special Agent Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) testified as a prosecution summary witness. Cerciello, who reviewed thousands of pages of evidence but was not directly involved in the Combs investigation, presented charts summarizing text messages, financial records, and travel data linked to alleged 'freak-offs'—drug-fueled sexual encounters central to the prosecution’s case. His testimony aimed to corroborate the racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges by tying Combs’ activities to a coordinated enterprise, though the defense challenged the evidence’s implications. His two-day testimony was critical in organizing complex documentation for the jury. Cerciello began on June 20, presenting a chart with 44 entries from May 2021 to August 2024, detailing alleged 'freak-off' encounters primarily involving Combs and Jane, an accuser testifying under a pseudonym. He testified that the chart included locations, names, and transportation records, noting that before Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit, most events occurred in hotels, but none did afterward, suggesting a shift in Combs’ behavior. For a December 2021 Miami trip, Cerciello showed flight records for Jane and an entertainer named 'Sly,' alongside a $6,000 damage charge at the St. Regis Bal Harbour, indicating 'freak-off' aftermath. He also highlighted a January 2023 stay at the London Hotel in Los Angeles, reserved under 'Joseph Chavez,' with a $7,577.24 bill, including $3,750 for 'damaged furniture' and 'bodily fluids stained on the wood floor.' A security report noted linens 'soaked in baby oil' and carpet oil stains, corroborating Jane’s testimony about excessive baby oil use. Cerciello presented text messages coordinating 'freak-offs,' including Combs instructing Jane to send $1,100 to Cowboys for Angels, an escort service, for flights and an 'overnight rate' in January 2023. Another text showed Combs arranging three men’s arrival at the London Hotel, with one depositing $1,500 cash at Los Angeles ATMs days later, suggesting payment for participation. Cerciello also reviewed texts from Combs’ assistants requesting cash, such as '$3,500 for his guest ASAP' and '$600' before Combs visited Jane’s house, aligning with Jane’s claims of cash payments. These records supported the prosecution’s narrative of a structured operation using Combs’ resources to facilitate 'freak-offs.' On June 23, Cerciello continued, focusing on additional financial and travel data. He testified about a May 2023 Turks and Caicos trip where Combs and Jane’s flights aligned with a 'freak-off' Jane described, costing $12,000 in damages at a resort. He presented bank statements showing $10,000 cash withdrawals by Combs’ staff before such trips, consistent with Ananya Sankar’s forensic accounting testimony. Cerciello noted a pattern of aliases like 'Mr. Carter' and 'Joseph Chavez' for hotel bookings, suggesting efforts to conceal activities. He also referenced a February 2024 text where Combs discussed a 'wild king night' with Jane, post-Ventura lawsuit, indicating continued activity despite public scrutiny. During cross-examination by defense attorney Marc Agnifilo, Cerciello was pressed on the charts’ selective nature. Agnifilo highlighted omitted texts where Jane appeared enthusiastic, such as a 2021 message saying, 'I’m ready for the night,' arguing they suggested consent. Cerciello clarified his role was to verify data accuracy, not interpret intent, stating, 'I’m confirming the exhibits match the chart.' Agnifilo questioned whether hotel damages could result from non-criminal activities, to which Cerciello conceded it was possible but noted the context of witness testimony. The defense also challenged the lack of direct evidence tying cash withdrawals to escorts, suggesting they could fund Combs’ lavish lifestyle. Cerciello maintained the withdrawals’ timing aligned with 'freak-off' dates. On redirect, prosecutor Maurene Comey reinforced the charts’ relevance, asking Cerciello to confirm correlations between texts, travel, and damages with Jane’s accounts. He affirmed the data supported specific events, like the January 2023 London Hotel encounter. Cerciello’s testimony concluded after redirect, providing a comprehensive overview of the prosecution’s documentary evidence. The prosecution rested its case after his testimony, marking a pivotal moment as the trial neared closing arguments. Cerciello’s testimony was crucial in tying together financial, travel, and communication records, supporting the prosecution’s claim of a criminal enterprise facilitating 'freak-offs.' The charts corroborated Jane’s and other witnesses’ accounts, particularly regarding hotel damages and cash payments. However, the defense’s cross-examination underscored the evidence’s interpretive ambiguity, suggesting consensual activities within Combs’ 'swingers’ lifestyle.' Legal analysts noted that while Cerciello’s testimony provided a robust framework, proving coercion and criminal intent remained the prosecution’s challenge. His neutral, data-driven approach left jurors to weigh the evidence’s implications.

Compiled from news sources and summarized by Grok.

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