THE SCOOP DIGITAL NEWSPAPER

, , ,

Forensic Expert Testifies at Sean “Diddy” Combs Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Federal Trial

June 4 Testimony

By T.L. Reigns

The Scoop Digital Newspaper: July 2025

The prosecution entered some exhibits into evidence before the jury.  “A search of 2-star Island by HSI found this cell phone,” Para 14, “the exhibits are excerpts of the data.”

Video Expert Testifies on Surveillance Videos in Combs Case

Frank Piazza, a seasoned forensic video analyst, took the stand Monday, testifying in the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial. 

Piazza has previously qualified as an expert in fifty cases, and Judge Subramanian confirmed his expert status without objection from the defense.

Piazza told the jury he has worked for the Southern District of New York between fifty and one hundred times, noting that 75% of his work is for defense teams. He charges $295 per hour for his services.

Regarding the key evidence, Piazza testified that a cell phone recording, shot on an iPhone 6 at 30 frames per second, had not been edited or tampered with. “They are accurate,” he concluded.

Piazza explained problems with the original surveillance videos: the footage played at 22 frames per second instead of 30, making the video sped up. He said, “We counted the frames and used software to correct the timing.” 

He added that the video stream itself was corrupt, causing distortions, but confirmed, “The stream was not altered.”

He clarified for jurors that static cameras do not re-record unchanging areas like walls in every frame; instead, only moving elements are recorded. 

The prosecution then played a 55-second clip showing Combs throwing Cassie Ventura to the ground and kicking her. Piazza acknowledged some pixelation but said there was no manipulation of the video.

Piazza also described how Motion Activity settings in the camera, which activate recording when motion is detected, can create timestamp discrepancies and lead to visual artifacts. 

He pointed out an example where “a ghost of a person” appeared, then “a full figure” materialized, emphasizing these were results of a corrupted stream rather than intentional edits.

He detailed how the video compilation tracked Combs’ and Ventura’s movements from multiple angles during the incident.

Separately, Piazza testified about sexually explicit videos recovered from a device provided by Ms. Ventura, belonging to the “Frank Black” user. These videos, under seal, were enhanced for audio clarity and entered into evidence.

During cross-examination, the defense suggested the videos could have been manipulated, citing ghost-like figures and motion-related distortions. 

On redirect, the prosecution had Piazza reiterate that these issues stemmed from corruption in the video stream, not deliberate alteration.

June 4

Ms. Bongolan Testifies About Abuse and Drug Use in Sean “Diddy” Combs Case

Bryana Bongolan received a 5th Amendment immunity in the morning before testifying. 

Bryana Bongolan

Direct Examination by Ms. Smyser

Ms. Bongolan testified that in late September 2016, Sean “Diddy” Combs held her over a 17-story balcony before throwing her onto balcony furniture. She sustained bruising on the back of her leg, along with back and neck pain. Since the incident, Ms. Bongolan said she has suffered from night terrors, paranoia, and sometimes wakes up screaming.

Ms. Bongolan described Cassie, who remains one of her close friends today, as the link to her connection with Combs. She first met Cassie in either 2013 or 2014 while working as a graphic designer at the streetwear brand Young and Reckless. Their friendship grew closer around 2014–2015, when Cassie began working as a co-designer at Diamond Supply.

In her role, Ms. Bongolan created clothing designs based on Cassie’s ideas. She characterized Cassie and Combs’ relationship as volatile, explaining that Cassie had tried to introduce her to Combs sooner, but she resisted because of troubling signs, such as seeing Cassie with a black eye, frequent distressed phone calls, and Cassie appearing upset.

Ms. Bongolan eventually met Combs about a year after becoming friends with Cassie, and afterward did some design work for him.

She testified that she often stayed at Cassie’s home, where they would work on designs, talk, and use drugs together. They smoked marijuana, and at times used cocaine, ketamine, and other substances.

 In the beginning, others like Mia, Deonte, and Rob Holliday were often present; Kerry joined when she was in town. Rob Holliday was one of Ms. Bongolan’s best friends.

They frequently went shopping together and got their nails done. Ms. Bongolan recalled Cassie once showing her phone screen, which displayed a list of every place they had been that day, after Combs called demanding to know her whereabouts.

Testimony read from Official Court Transcripts on Down the Rabbit Hole News on YouTube

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Scoop Digital Newspaper
thescoop@writeme.com

Leave a comment