NEW YORK — A former personal assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs gave a glimpse into the hip-hop promoter’s world when he worked for him nearly two decades ago, testifying at the hip-hop promoter’s sex trafficking trial about his former boss’ use of guns, lie detector tests and drugs.
David James’ testimony came in the second week of a trial in Manhattan federal court that is scheduled to last up to two months. If convicted of the charges he faces, including racketeering, the Bad Boy Records founder could be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison.
James was one of several former Combs employees expected to testify, as prosecutors try to prove that Combs for two decades used threats and violence to control employees and associates and commit crimes.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he used threats and his powerful position in the hip-hop world to abuse women and others and subject Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, his decade-long girlfriend, to take part in drug-fueled sexual performances with other men that she said left her too drained to pursue her singing career.
James, a personal assistant for Combs from 2007 to 2009, testified about a job that seemed to come with increasing perils until he realized his life was in danger and quit, with notice, after he was forced to drive a car in which an angry Combs sat in the back seat with three handguns on his lap.
He said his job sometimes required him to ensure that hotel rooms where Combs stayed under the name “Frank Black” were stocked with what he needed for comfort, including fresh underwear, an iPod, apple sauce, vodka, baby oil, Viagra and condoms.
There were also surprising moments, James said, like one in 2008 when Combs asked him to bring an iPod from his Miami home to a hotel room. Upon entering, James said he saw Cassie on the bed with a white comforter pulled up to her neck and an unfamiliar naked man wearing a condom running from the room.
Another time, he said Combs summoned him to his office to show him video he’d recorded at a party of James dancing wildly and told him: “Ok. I’m going to keep this footage in case I ever need it.” James said he took it as a threat to keep him in line.
Cassie testified last week that Combs threatened to release videos of her having sex with male sex workers during the so-called freak-offs if she didn’t do as he said.
James also described being required to take lie detector tests twice when Combs was trying to find out who stole cash in one instance and a watch in another.
He said Combs was on drugs nearly every day, often taking Percocet by day and ecstasy by night. When he stocked Combs’ hotel rooms, he said, drugs were in a bag dropped off by security, including the pill meant to look like then-President Barack Obama.
James testified that he was also involved in Combs’ attempt to confront his music industry rival Suge Knight at a Los Angeles diner in November 2008 — an incident that Cassie also testified about.
James said he was with Combs’ bodyguard picking up food for Combs and his security staff at around 4 a.m. when the bodyguard spotted Knight and saw someone passing a gun to him.
They fled the diner and went back to Combs’ home, about 10 minutes away, James testified. Combs, itching to go to the diner, was outside the house arguing with Cassie, who didn’t want him to leave, James said.
James told jurors that Combs then ordered him to drive them — Combs and the bodyguard known as D-Roc — to the diner. James said he looked back at one point and saw Combs in the backseat with three handguns on his lap.
When they got to the diner, he said, Knight and his entourage were gone. Combs told him to drive around the block, but Knight was nowhere to be found, so they drove back to Combs’ home, James said.
“I was real shook up by it,” James testified. “This was the first time being Mr. Combs’ assistant that I realized my life was in danger.”
