Former assistant Brendan Paul testifies that he bought drugs for combs-but he was not a “drug mule”

The trial of Sean “Didi” Combs resumed Friday at the Manhattan Federal Court, such as Brandon Paul, a former assistant described in numerous civil cases as a “drug mule”, testifies to him in the case of sexual trafficking in a high profile.

Federal prosecutors say that for decades, he has been experiencing, threatening and forcing women to participate in sexual encounters with a drug marathon called “Ophti freaks” and used his business empire, along with weapons, abduction and arson to cover up their crimes. The defense claims that the meetings were consensus and Combs denied any misconduct.

The 55-year-old hip-hop tycoon faces five criminal censuses: one counting of a conspiracy racket, two sexual trafficking with power, fraud or coercion and two transport to participate in prostitution. If convicted, he could face prison life.

Here are some key actions from the testimony on Friday, derived from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including Cnn., NBC Newsand The Washington PostS

The former assistant says,

Paul testifies after referring to his fifth amendment to a right against self -inspire. Judge Arun Submanian signed an immunity order forcing Paul’s testimony.

He told the court that he worked for combs from 2022 until 2024, describing the exhausting weeks of 80 to 100 hours he spent, helping to coordinate magnets, fitness training, dining plans and assort other needs, including the creation of the Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal Royal The combs.

Like other former assistants, Paul said he would stock up on supplies, including candles, condoms, astroglide and a Gucci bag containing drugs. He also sometimes cleaned the rooms after sexual parties, he said.

Paul testifies that he will sometimes walk days without working for a combs, accepting stimulant Adderall and occasionally cocaine to stay awake.

According to Paul Combs, he resembles his assistant employees to seal team 6, asking them to work without failures.

Paul said that Combs had fired him repeatedly, including once he had forgotten to bring his boss’s package to Lulumon. The dismissals will blow within a day or two and he will continue to work, he said.

Paul testified that he bought drugs for combs – but was not a “drug mule”

Paul testifies that he also has the task of buying drugs – including marijuana, cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy – for combs.

Grounds or any of his other assistants would instruct him to receive drugs that included a meeting with drug dealers with such nicknames as Guido, a girl and a stop, said Paul.

Paul told the court that he would also take medicines with a recipe for combs in pharmacies under the real name of Combs or the nickname “Frank Black”.

After purchasing the drugs, Paul said he would give them directly to the combs or put them in the gogs of the combs where they are often stored.

But in the case of cross -interrogation, Paul testifies that handling drugs is only a secondary part of his work on combs and that his understanding is that drugs are for the personal use of magnets.

“You weren’t some drug mule, did you?” Defense lawyer Brian Steele asked.

“Absolutely not,” Paul replied.

The former assistant says he was arrested with cocaine he found while sweeping the Combs room

Paul was arrested for possession of cocaine at Miami-Reak Executive Airport in March 2024, at about the same time, federal agents invaded Kombs homes. Later, the allegations were eliminated.

He told the court that he had received cocaine while he was sweeping the Combs room and put it in his own bag, but then forgot to remove it before he left for a family trip.

“I swept his room and put it in my bag and forgot it as I pack,” he said.

Paul said he had told the law enforcement agencies that everything in the bag, including cocaine, was his, and did not say where he had taken him out of loyalty to Combs.

Big picture: Prosecutors are hoping to convince jurors that Kombs used his business empire, including assistants like Paul, to get drugs and help him create “freaks” as part of their racketeering fee. But in cross -questioning, Paul admitted that Combs had not asked him to travel with cocaine and that he had left him in his bag by mistake.

Venture Text of Combs: “You treat me like a prostitute to be honest”

While Joseph Cerdzhiello, a special agent of internal security investigations, was on the podium, prosecutors entered text messages between Combs and Cassie Ventura, his ex -girlfriend and a star witness in the government.

The reports were from March 2017, a year after Combs was captured when watching a video attacked by Ventura at a hotel in Los Angeles.

“This is not love, it’s possession,” Wentura wrote Combs in one of the messages, which was shown in court.

At one point, Combs asked Ventura if she was “flying” on him. She said she “does not turn over”, but that she also did not want to obey another “bit down”.

Later in the stock market, Ventura told Combs: “You treat me like a prostitute to be honest. You always want to call one and you have one. This prostitute has been here for 10 years.”

Defense says it will take less than 2 days to submit his case

Prosecutors hoped to rest their case this week, but the court was postponed without testimony on Wednesday, as the judge was ill with Vertigo, delaying production. The court was not a session on Thursday for the June holiday.

The government said it now expects to end its case on Monday.

The leading lawyer of the Combs, Mark Agnifilo, has considered it to take less than two days to present his defense and will probably rest on Tuesday or Wednesday. (The defense has already hinted that Kombs will probably not testify.)

According to this timeline, Submanian said that discussions of jurors could start on Thursday after closing arguments and asked both sides to prepare modifications to the proposed instructions, which would be given to the jurors when he received the case.