Sean Combs trial updates | Defense closes; deliberations set for Monday

The racketeering conspiracy predicate act of witness tampering in Sean Combs' trial occurred, according to prosecutor Christy Slavik, after Cassie Ventura filed her quickly settled civil lawsuit against Combs and Combs and Kristina Khorram recorded a phone call with the former Combs girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym "Jane."

Slavik told the jury that Combs reached out to "Jane" because he was concerned about a criminal investigation into his conduct with her.

Slavik played excerpts of two phone calls in which she alleged Combs was attempting to get a recording of "Jane" saying she was a willing participant in so-called "hotel night" sexual encounters he allegedly had with her, but "Jane" wouldn't do it.

"He tried to corruptly persuade her to adopt his lies," Slavik told the court.

Similarly, Slavik alleged, Combs and his bodyguard, D-Roc, reached out to former Combs assistant "Mia." Appearing under a pseudonym, "Mia" testified that the outreach "terrified" her.

"D-Roc and the defendant worked together to neutralize the 'Mia' threat. She knew too much," Slavik told the court. "The defendant is attempting to corruptly persuade 'Mia' to stay silent while fully aware of the likelihood of a criminal investigation."

Federal prosecutors, delivering closing statements in the racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking trial of Sean Combs, said testimony from four witnesses satisfies the racketeering predicate of forced labor: former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and "Jane," and former Combs assistants "Mia" and Capricorn Clark.

Ventura and "Jane," the latter of whom testified under a pseudonym, provided labor and services when they endured hours of grueling sex as part of so-called "freak-off" sexual encounters, Christy Slavik told the jury.

"Combs did not let Cassie or 'Jane' sleep. Instead, he gave them drugs to stay awake," Slavik argued. "After each 'freak-off,' Cassie and 'Jane' were so exhausted they took days to recover."

Slavik reminded the jury that both women had testified that Combs told them to "keep going" and to "finish strong" even when they were tired; how their bodies were sore from hours in uncomfortable positions; how they frequently contracted urinary tract infections.

"Cassie said she had so many UTIs that antibiotics stopped working to cure them," Slavik said. "'Jane' texted, 'I'm the one putting all the physical and mental work in for 48 hours straight.'"

Slavik then turned to the woman who testified under the pseudonym "Mia," who she said was so traumatized by her alleged experiences with Combs that "she could not look up" on the witness stand.

"It should be clear to you that the defendant treated 'Mia' differently from the other personal assistants. He demanded more and he abused her," Slavik alleged. "The labor the defendant got from 'Mia' was not standard personal assistant stuff."

Slavik also reminded jurors that 'Mia' testified that Combs sexually assaulted her, allegedly including penetration and forced oral sex.

Capricorn Clark testified that Combs ripped up a paper she submitted to him for $80,000 in overtime, Slavik told the jury. Clark also testified that Combs and his bodyguard, Uncle Paulie, allegedly walked with her in New York's Central Park on her first day working for him to threaten her because she had previously worked for rival record producer Marion "Suge" Knight, Slavik further told the jury.

Though Clark conceded during her testimony that she kept returning to Combs despite his alleged treatment of her, Slavik said it was because Clark needed a job and Combs allegedly used his influence in the industry to make sure Clark wouldn't get one unless she worked for him.

The government summation in the Sean Combs racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking trial has moved on to the counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution.

"You heard about many instances when the defendant flew in escorts from across the country so he could watch them have sex," Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told the court.

Concerning one alleged example, from August 2009, Slavik showed jurors text messages from Combs coordinating travel with a male escort named Jules. Slavik then showed Combs' American Express statement that, the prosecution claims, indicates that Combs paid for Jules' flight, his car from the airport, and the $2,000 bill from The London hotel in New York City.

"The only reason to fly Jules Theodore into New York City was to participate in a 'freak-off,'" Slavik said, referring to the name for a sexual encounter.

Slavik included multiple other examples to support the prosecution's contention before taking a break. She told the court that she has another hour to go in her presentation, setting up a five-hour closing argument from the government.

Sean Combs "created a climate of fear" that left Cassie Ventura believing that "failure to perform 'freak-offs,' or do whatever else the defendant demanded, would result in serious harm," prosecutor Christy Slavik said during closing statements at his racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking trial.

Slavik took aim at a defense argument that Combs' former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, made a daily decision to stay in the relationship with Combs for 11 years. She asked jurors to imagine that they were with someone who kicked them, dragged them by the hair at seemingly random times for saying the wrong things, or for failing to promptly answer the phone -- someone bigger, stronger and twice their age.

"Imagine the terror of never knowing when the next hit might come or how to fight that person off. Now imagine saying no," Slavik said of Ventura. "She knew that when he was happy, she was safe."

Slavik told the jury that Ventura lacked the freedom to make a voluntary, adult choice.

"If the defendant wanted a 'freak-off,' it was going to happen," Slavik said referring to sexual encounters. "You know why by now. He didn't take no for an answer."