Latest news with #Feds
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'More Than Once': Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex-Aide Tells Trial Of Being Raped By Grammy Winner; 'Mia' Details Cassie Ventura Beatings She Witnessed
With a quiet voice, a former personal assistant to Sean 'Diddy' Combs this morning told the Bad Boy Records founder's sex-trafficking trial that the Grammy winner raped her. 'More than once,' the witness going under the alias 'Mia' stated to Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Smyser Thursday morning while listing off a series of violent acts Combs subjected her to over the years she worked for him, often going days without sleep. More from Deadline 50 Cent Doubles Down On Ripping Sean 'Diddy' Combs For Gun Threats Revealed In Trial Testimony – Update Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds "What The F*ck": Kid Cudi Responds At Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial To Torched Porsche & Other Threats From "Supervillain" Over Dating Cassie Ventura 'He's thrown things at me, he's thrown me against the wall, he's thrown me into a pool, he's thrown an ice bucket on my head,' the witness outlined for the jury and Judge Arun Subramanian in the lower Manhattan courtroom. 'He has slammed my arm into a door. He sexually assaulted me.' Detailing the insults and constant threats of being fired over her 2009 to 2017 tenure working for Diddy, 'Mia' also Thursday laid out what she observed up-close in the 'toxic,' as the witness called it, decade- long relationship between Combs and Cassie Ventura. 'We became like sisters, best friends,' the witness said of still close pal Ventura, who testified during the trial's first week. When it came to Combs and Ventura, 'Mia' described an intense controlling, manipulative and violent relationship. 'He was abusive towards her,' she told the court, rarely looking up. 'I've seen him crack her head open,' the witness added, telling the court of the 'terrified look' she once saw in a hiding Ventura's eyes. Stating that she never saw Ventura fight back under Diddy's assaults, 'Mia' did recount one occasion where the assistant herself and a bodyguard tried to stop Combs allegedly stomping on Ventura in her L.A. apartment. In terms very similar to what Ventura used during her testimony, 'Mia' stated how Combs' 'eyes turned, like, black and there was like no getting through,' during the attack on his then girlfriend. 'I was trying to get him to stop, and it was like he was looking through me,' she said, also noting the 'severe danger' she felt she and Ventura were in during that incident. The assault, described in past testimony by Ventura, left the 'Me & U' singer with a large gash on her head. 'Mia' said that Diddy told her to organize a plastic surgeon for Ventura to fix up the wound and to tell anyone that asked that Ventura was drunk and fell. As the much anticipated 'Mia' spoke, Combs himself was just several feet away with his lawyers at the defense table. Also in the courtroom today were several members of Combs' family, including at least two of his sons and his mother. Earlier today, there was a move to restrict video of 'Mia' being fed to the media and general public in the overflow rooms at the cavernous Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, but the judge rejected that move. The criminal trial of the much-accused and currently incarcerated Combs follows his arrest last September on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and more. Having entered a not guilty plea, the 55-year-old Combs faces the rest of his life behind bars in federal prison if found guilty by the jury. The trial started on May 12 and, even with the prosecution moving a bit faster than initially assumed, Judge Subramanian says it will last about nine weeks. Earlier Thursday, the jury heard more testimony from subpoenaed celebrity stylist and Cassie Ventura pal Deonte Nash, who had been on the stand on May 28. Yesterday, noting he did not want to be in court, Nash gave very specific testimony of the beatings he says he saw Combs subject Ventura to, her frequent reluctance to participate in the 'freak-off' sex sessions, and the time in 2013 when Combs got violent with him. The stylist, who worked for Combs and Ventura for most of their 2007 to 2018 relationship, also detailed the threats by the Bad Boy Records founder to Ventura to release the videos and photos from the 'freak-offs' where Ventura had baby oil and drug enhanced sex with male escorts while Diddy pleasured himself. Of note, at least one of those violent incidents of Combs attacking Ventura involved the 'I Need A Girl' performer's then assistant 'Mia' being present and even trying to stop the beatings. Mentioned several times in the trial before this week, including prominently in the prosecution's opening statement on May 12, 'Mia' herself was assaulted and abused by her then boss – as her own testimony displayed. Before Nash, the prosecution had LAFD arson investigator Lance Jimenez and LAPD Officer Christopher Ignacio on the stand respectively. The two West Coast witnesses spoke primarily about the alleged torching of Kid Cudi's Porsche by a violently jealous Diddy when the Man on the Moon rapper was briefly dating Ventura. The court also had a flutter mid-morning Wednesday when defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro asked for a mistrial to be declared based on claimed prosecutorial misconduct and previous testimony. Unsurprisingly, the feds called a mistrial 'absolutely unwarranted,' Not unexpected at this point in the criminal trial, the mistrial request had little legs and was quickly rejected by Judge Subramanian. Having said that, the judge did order some testimony struck from the record about a fingerprint card taken from Kid Cudi's home in late 2011 following a break-in. The LAFD's Jimenez told the jurors that much of that evidence was destroyed by the department in 2022. Wednesday also saw news break that Ventura, who testified for four days during the trial's first week, had given birth to her third child on May 27. Reported by various outlets, the information landed in the courtroom via stylist Nash who almost casually mentioned speaking to Ventura the day before to congratulate her. Born just under two weeks after Ventura's often harrowing time on the stand concluded, the new arrival is a boy. Ventura and husband Alex Fine, who was in court for most of his wife's testimony during the week of May 12, already had two daughters. The feds' star witness, Ventura will clearly not be returning to the court, however the testimony of 'Mia' is expected to go all day Thursday and likely into Friday, I hear. Judge Subramanian has set the proceedings to run from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. ET, but has cautioned the jury they could go a bit long some days to wrap testimony up. Just before the lunch break today, the judge said he will keep the jury until 4 p.m. ET Thursday and maybe the same on May 30. 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Black America Web
2 days ago
- Politics
- Black America Web
Trump Commutes Sentence Of Larry Hoover, Social Media Reacts In Side Eye
Source: YouTube / CBS News Larry Hoover, a founder of the infamous Gangster Disciples street gang out of Chicago, had his life sentence commuted by Donald Trump, according to various reports. Social media reaction to the news has been a mixed bag, to say the least. On Wednesday (May 28), Trump commuted the multiple life sentences of Hoover, 74. He was imprisoned for the 1973 murder a 19-year-od named William 'Pooky' Young, who was allegedly a drug dealer. That state charge was already a 200-year sentence, then in 1997 he was sentenced to six life sentences by the Feds. Play But, it seems like being accused of running a vast criminal enterprise wasn't enough for Trump lto stay away from his case. This is just the latest of eyebrow-raising prisoner interventions from Trump that include the pardoning of reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were serving time for bank fraud and tax evasion . As for Hoover, the authorities have long accused him of running the gang while imprisoned. According to prison records, Hoover was serving his six life sentences in Colorado. Hoover's lawyer issued the following statement: 'The Courts have demonstrated a complete unwillingness to consider Mr. Hoover's considerable growth and complete rehabilitation. Despite the Court's unwillingness to do the right thing, Mr. Hoover has been able to keep his voice alive through the incredible work of many advocates and supporters. Thankfully, Mr. Hoover's pleas were heard by President Trump who took action to deliver justice for Mr. Hoover.' Now the question is if whether or not the Feds will deliver Hoover to state authorities, where he's supposed to serve the rest of his sentence, or if he'll be released outright, and when. Hoover has achieved a mythical status in urban areas and Hip-Hop circles as an antihero. Known in some circles as King Hoover, one of the most famed recent homages to him was Rick Ross' 2010 hit ''B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast),' where the Miami rapper shouted GD leader out in the chorus. Also, back in 2021 when Kanye West and Drake were still frenemies they hosted a benefit concert to raise awareness. Reactions to news of Hoover potentially getting pardoned started pouring in as soon as the news broke. Where there are many, like Chance The Rapper, who consider him a political prisoner, there are those who don't appreciate the violence he allegedly help unleash in Chicago. See some of the more poignant observations in the gallery. Keep in mind that Trump doesn't do anything out of the goodness of his heart, allegedly. Trump Commutes Sentence Of Larry Hoover, Social Media Reacts In Side Eye was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Feds target Chinese couple accused in $9 million crypto 'pig butchering\
Feds target Chinese couple accused in $9 million crypto 'pig butchering" scam One victim told authorities they liquidated their retirement accounts to invest with the scammers they met online. Show Caption Hide Caption Here's how to ensure your crypto stays safe and secure From NFT rug pulls to terrorist financing, here's the scams you should watch out for -- and what to do if you're a victim of a crypto crime. Andrea Kramar and Hye-Su Jun, USA TODAY Federal officials are trying to seize more than $6 million in cryptocurrency they say represents the ill-gotten gains of a Chinese couple's "pig butchering" scam left behind when they fled the United States one step ahead of the cops. Prosecutors say the $6 million sitting in four electronic wallets was left behind by Feng Chen and Tianqiong Xu as they fled to China last year, days after the FBI searched their home. They were indicted in June 2024 by a federal grand jury in Vermont. Court records filed May 22 indicate the married couple specifically targeted people of Chinese heritage across the United States. Prosecutors accuse the couple of ripping off at least $9.5 million from from least 120 victims, operating from their five-bedroom house in Frisco, Texas. According to court documents, Chen and Xu tricked people into thinking they were investing in cryptocurrency when instead the couple faked apps, emails and online records, and deposited the money in their own crypto wallets. The victims got regular reports purporting to show their investments were gaining in value, investigators said. "Pig butchering" is the name given to scams in which crooks build a relationship with their targets over time, and then steal their money. In some cases, as with other frauds like Ponzi schemes, scammers work within a specific community, like a church group or neighborhood. Federal officials said Chen and Xu found their targets in Chinese-language investing chat rooms. "Beginning at least as early as January 2021 and continuing through January 2024 (they) created a scheme to defraud victims of funds by encouraging the victims to invest in cryptocurrency using fraudulent cryptocurrency investment applications," prosecutors wrote in a criminal complaint. "The scheme impacted over 100 victims across the United States and internationally ... and resulted in the theft of millions of dollars from victims." One victim based in Vermont liquidated their retirement account and transferred $600,000 to the couple, according to court filings. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Etherium are largely unregulated, and are increasingly associated connected with scams. Last year, the FBI reported that Americans lost more than $5.6 billion in frauds connected to cryptocurrency, in part because it's so easy to buy and transfer it electronically outside the normal banking system. Court records show FBI agents searched the couple's home in late 2023 but didn't arrest them at that time. Days later the family got passports from the Chinese embassy in Houston and fled home to China with their two children, court records show. The FBI and Secret Service had been tracing their scam network since 2021, according to court records. The FBI said Chen is originally from Wuhan, and that he attended universities in Wyoming and Louisiana, where he earned master's degrees in petroleum engineering and geology. FBI agents said Chen used the same computer skills he developed in school to create fake apps and chatbots to trick their victims. The twp were indicted in absentia by a federal grand jury in Vermont, and will be prosecuted for wire fraud and money laundering if they return to the United States.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
4 plot twists we'd love to see in GTA 6
Vice City is back. Lucia and Jason are already the most talked-about duo in gaming. The vibes are wild, the world looks massive, and the hype is sky-high. But if Rockstar really wants to blow our minds, it's going to take more than fast cars and neon skylines. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We're talking about plot twists , the kind that make you pause, rewind, and question everything. Here are 4 plot twists that would blow our minds if they made it to the final cut. GTA 6 | Is Lucia An Informant For The Feds 1. Lucia is an Undercover Cop (…or Was) We've seen characters betray each other in GTA before, but imagine this: Lucia, the fierce, no-nonsense lead, is not who we think she is. Maybe she was once an undercover agent, embedded in the criminal world to bring down a drug empire, but somewhere along the way, she switched sides. Whether it's love, power, or pure survival that drives the change, this would flip the entire narrative. 2. Vice City's Police Chief Is Pulling the Strings Let's go full noir: The real kingpin of Leonida isn't a mob boss, it's the Vice City Police Chief. Clean in the media, corrupt to the core in reality. Every arrest, every gang war, every drug bust is part of his master plan. What if the protagonists unknowingly do his dirty work, only to uncover it too late? Think about it: the ultimate twist isn't who's in power, it's how they're using it. 3. The Final Heist Is a Setup Every GTA game builds toward a final mission: a high-stakes job that ties it all together. But what if the last heist is a setup? Maybe one of the crew is a rat. Maybe the payout never existed. Maybe it's all a trap orchestrated by someone the protagonists trusted the most. It's not about money anymore. It's about survival. That final betrayal would be the kind of jaw-drop moment Rockstar fans live for. Exploring the Absurd Jason Duval "Cop" Theory - Grand Theft Auto VI 4. Jason's Past Catches Up… in a Big Way Jason seems like the loyal, ride-or-die kind of guy. But what if he's not running with Lucia, he's running from something worse? Maybe a cartel he double-crossed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Maybe an entire city he left in flames. And what if that past shows up in Vice City, ready to tear everything down? A twist like this not only ups the stakes, it forces players to question their loyalty to the characters they control. GTA 6 is already shaping up to be the most ambitious game in the series. With the state of Leonida, dual protagonists, and a storyline that's clearly about more than just crime, the potential for shocking plot twists is huge . Whether it's betrayal, hidden identities, or power plays in high places, we're ready for Rockstar to mess with our heads.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
50 Cent Mocks Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Tough Guy Talk As Ex-Aide Details Bad Blood Between Duo In Trial Testimony
50 Cent isn't scheduled to testify in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex-trafficking trial, but the Power franchise executive producer captured the courtroom spotlight today with a well executed swipe at his long time nemesis. Coming off the Memorial Day long weekend, Tuesday morning saw former Diddy aide Capricorn Clark on the stand for the prosecution with insider intel on the alleged violence, threats, polygraph tests, and dual kidnappings the witness said she experienced over her various stints working for the 'I'll Be Missing You' performer. More from Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds "What The F*ck": Kid Cudi Responds At Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial To Torched Porsche & Other Threats From "Supervillain" Over Dating Cassie Ventura Kid Cudi To Testify Thursday In Sean "Diddy" Combs' Sex-Trafficking Trial About Threats Against Him & Cassie Ventura Expected to last at least another six to seven weeks, the criminal trial of the much-accused and currently incarcerated Combs follows his arrest last September on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and more. The 55-year-old Combs faces the rest of his life behind bars in federal prison if found guilty by the jury in this case. Sometimes overcome with emotion and with a blue sweater wearing Combs sitting near-by in Judge Arun Subramanian's lower Manhattan courtroom, Clark also detailed for the jury the multiple beatings she says she saw Diddy unleash on his on-and-off girlfriend Cassie Ventura over the years. Additionally, in one more piece of the prosecution's often plodding building of the criminal case, Clark spoke of her then jealous boss Combs' car burning and home invading beef with Kid Cudi. More acutely she noted unfulfilled vows by Combs to 'kill' Kid Cudi at one point while the acclaimed rapper was briefly involved with Ventura in 2011. As anyone who knows hip hops knows, Kid Cudi wasn't the only rapper Combs and his firearm carrying posse had tensions with. Former personal assistant Clark told the 12-person jury Tuesday that Combs told her he 'had an issue with 50 Cent.' Now, with Combs and the 'In Da Club' performer born Curtis Jackson having tossed verbal and social media grenades at each other for years and years, any issue between the two is old news. What was revealed today was that Combs took those issues a little bit harder than was previously suggested. Under oath, Clark said Tuesday that after a MTV event with 50 Cent in attendance a few years back, she heard Combs tell his then manager, the now deceased Chris Lighty that he had problems with the often provocative Jackson. 'I don't like all the back and forth,' Clark said an irritated Combs remarked off the event with 50. 'I don't do that, I like guns,' she says Diddy went on to tell Lighty, in what Clark took as both a threat and a reference to the near fatal shooting (as dramatically depicted in the Jim Sheridan directed 2005 movie Get Rich or Die Tryin') the then unknown 50 suffered in May 2000 in Queens, NY over a drug deal. Never one to miss an opportunity to mock Diddy or produce a critical documentary about him, 50 Cent went online today not long after Clark, who worked for the Den of Thieves star too at one point, told the story on the stand. 'Wait a minute PUFFY's got a gun, I can't believe this I don't feel safe,' a sarcastic 50 posted on his Instagram Tuesday morning. 'LOL,' he added, sticking it to Diddy. Neither Combs nor his lawyers have addressed the 50 Cent story Clark told today, at least not yet. Entering a not guilty plea last year in this criminal trial, Combs, as he has in the dozens and dozens of cases against him, including the quickly settled ($20 million) civil abuse and assault action by Ventura in November 2023, says he did nothing wrong. In fact, as his defense pitched in their opening statement on May 12, while the baby oil lathered 'freak-offs' and more that were part of a swinger and voyeuristic fueled lifestyle may come across as unseemly to some, everything was consensual between adults. To that, Combs and his team basically assert the feds are simply prudes with subpoena powers. Going into explicit, often embarrassing and frequently harrowing recollections of her 2007 to 2018 relationship with the admitted domestic violence abuse Combs, a very very pregnant Ventura was the star witness for Week 1 of the May 12 starting trial. Amidst testimony from some male sex workers who participated for cash in the drug juiced and often filmed 'freak-offs' Combs supposedly strong-armed Ventura into under ultimatums of leaking those videos and more beatings, the 'Me & U' singer's mother also was in the witness box, as was Kid Cudi a.k.a. Scott Mescudi himself. Under concerns about safety, the feds are keeping their witness list close to the chest, but we know various LA and NYC law enforcement officials are anticipated to testify this week. One individual who will almost certainly not be testifying in the trial is the much-vaulted and much discussed Victim-3. A key component of the prosecution's case, the former Combs girlfriend going under the moniker 'Gina' was supposed to take the stand to go in-depth on the abuse and criminal activity she suffered and saw from Combs. Problem is about a week before the trial started, the prosecution admitted to Judge Subramanian and the defense team during jury selection that they were suddenly not able to get in touch with the out of state Victim-3 not her attorney. With a looming risk of the 10-lawyer deep Marc Agnifilo, Teny Geragos and Brian Steel-led defense maybe choosing to move for a mistrial, the government worked to get Victim-3/Gina in court. Put on the shelf for the judge, though not forgotten by the defense if needed for an appeal, the status of Victim-3 has now become clearer. At this point, she will not be a part of the prosecution's case – – which will cause fallout no matter what side of the matter you are on. Another potential problem for the prosecution is the convoluted realities of Combs' business world and personal life and the control the deep pocketed Bad Boy Records founder had over his employees, label signings and lovers – some of which like Ventura were the same people. As Clark made obvious today with her own settlement with her ex-boss and an attempt as recently as a year ago to work for him again, black and white moral judgements were rare in Diddyland. A fact that appears, at this stage, to hinder the government's intention to establish that Combs created a criminal racketeering enterprise and a conspiracy. Over the past two weeks, the prosecution has been laying a foundation for its case, but very slowly and meticulously – one could even say mind-numbing. If the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York really believes, as they indicated today, they'll wrap up their case a week early, they might want to step it up a notch or two to seal the deal with the jury. No matter the strategy, time is of the essence. Judge Subramanian has set court to run daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. and promised jurors they will be done before the July 4th holiday. Best of Deadline 'Hacks' Season 4 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About 'Hacks' Season 4 So Far 'The Last Of Us': Differences Between HBO Series & Video Game Across Seasons 1 And 2
