Prosecutors 'Dumb Down' Diddy Rico Case Hours Before Closing, Verdict by July 4th?!| Crime Alert 6AM 06.26.2025

In a shocking 11th hour move before closing arguments begin, the prosecution in the Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial backpedals on their RICO case. Will this 'dumbing down' of the charges before the final showdown mean a verdict by July 4th?

In an unprecedented triumph against evil, Florida authorities, and their federal partners rescue 60 children from the clutches of sex traffickers...making it the largest recovery in U.S history.  

A 4yr old boy is severely burned in a horrific S'mores mishap at a children's museum. Plus, a date night ends with 'time' behind bars! Jennifer Gould reports. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Crime Alert. I'm Nancy Grace, Breaking crime news Now. Our
Jennifer Gould has the very latest from the Shawncrims courtroom.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Nancy, the walls are closing in on hip hop mogul
Sean did He Combs? As his federal sex trafficking trial
barrels towards its explosive climax in Manhattan this morning, the
court room braces for closing arguments, sitting the stage for
a verdict that could drop before the fourth of July.
In a stunning eleventh hour move on Wednesday, prosecutors dramatically

(00:30):
pulled back on the elements of their sprawling Rico case,
essentially dumbing down charges they seemingly struggled to prove. In
a letter to Judge Aaron Subramanian, the government conceded it
would no longer pursue claims did he attempted to kidnap
former employee Capricorn Clark and ex girlfriend Cassie nor the

(00:51):
attempted arson accusation that he blew up kid Cuddy's car.
Even elements of aiding and abetting sex trafficking were quietly
eighty six from jury instructions, though the core sex trafficking
charges remain despite the last minute concession, prosecutors spent seven
grueling weeks painting Comb's fifty five as the dark lord

(01:14):
of a criminal enterprise, coercing women into drug fueled freak
off sex marathons or hotel nights. They called thirty four witnesses,
including two ex girlfriends of Comb's Cassie Ventura seen in
the horrifying twenty sixteen hotel assault caught on video, and
a woman known only as Jane. The defense called zero witnesses.

(01:36):
Combs himself opted not to testify, dodging a brutal cross examination,
sticking to his claim all encounters were consensual. In a
rare court room moment Tuesday, when asked how he was
doing did, he briefly spoke, telling the judge quote unquote,
I'm doing great. He then thanked him for quote unquote,
doing an excellent job. With closing arguments set for today,

(01:59):
the judge instructing the jury tomorrow Friday, deliberations could begin
immediately and there could be a verdict, possibly before Independence Day.
If found guilty on all counts, the mogul faces life
behind bars. For the latest on this case, watch Crime
Stories with Nancy Grace on Merit TV Monday through Friday
at seven pm Eastern. Check your local listings for channel assignment,

(02:22):
and subscribe to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on your
favorite podcast app. In an unprecedented triumph against evil, Florida
authorities backed by US marshals have rescued sixty missing children
from a vile human trafficking ring in what officials are
hailing as the largest child rescue mission in US history.

(02:46):
Dubbed Dragon I, this two week massive sting operation spanned Hillsborough, Penelas,
and Pasco Counties, ripping vulnerable young lives from the clutches
of depraved exploiters. The rescued children, ranging from nine to
seventeen years old, included forty three girls and seventeen boys.
Here's doctor Catherine Gammez with the Florida Department of Juvenile

(03:10):
Justice at the news conference.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
And I can see the tired nods in the audience,
because I don't think any of us have really caught
up on sleep just yet. But it was worth it
because we ensured that sixty recoveries, sixty young people were
given an opportunity. Sixty young people were brought home, whatever
home that may be for them.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
The grim reality of their captivity was laid bare. Some
young girls were pregnant, with one tragically carrying the child
of her trafficker. Officials announced that the sprawling operations spearheaded
by the US Marshall's office, involved over twenty agencies and
one hundred dedicated personnel, including the Florida Department of Law

(03:51):
Enforcement and Department of Children and Families. The operation led
to the immediate arrests of eight suspects, five men, two women,
and one still unidentified individual, who now face a barrage
of charges including human trafficking, child endangerment, and drug possession.
Bonds for these monsters sore up to two hundred and

(04:14):
fifty million dollars as Florida's Office of Statewide Prosecution prepares
to prosecute these heinous crimes. The rescued children are now
receiving immediate critical medical and psychological care, with authorities vowing
continued support.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Nancy thanks Jennifer more Crime and Justice news.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
After this, a day of innocent fun at the Jasmine
Moran Children's Museum in Oklahoma dissolved into unspeakable horror when
a four year old was engulfed in towering blue and
green flames during an indoor s'mores activity. According to family friends,

(04:59):
little Riker Corona and his family had just arrived when
disaster struck. Hand sanitizer allegedly used to fuel the s'mores
grill tragically spilled and ignited in a massive, searing burst.
Witness Dacy Phillips recounted the horrifying scene to News nine.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
And at first you just see like big, big flames,
and then I look down and the little boy is
on the floor like flopping around trying to put himself out.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
Panicked parents frantically downst Riker with water to extinguish the inferno.
Firefighters rushed to the scene, and Riker's suffering second degree
burns to his chest, face and arms, was immediately airlifted
to an Oklahoma City hospital for urgent medical care. The
museum confirmed the incident involved an indoor s'mores maker, which

(05:48):
is now suspended while promising a thorough review. The popular
children's attraction now faces intense scrutiny over its safety protocols,
as well as backlash from witnesses who say employees just
stood there and did nothing as fellow parents tried to
put the fire out. A GoFundMe has been launched to
help with medical bills as the community rallies around Riker's

(06:11):
family through this tragedy. No word yet if Riker's parents
planned to file a suit against the Seminole Museum and
finally talk about an expensive last call. One Nashville man's
attempt at a happily ever after hookup almost turned into
a time piece tragedy. He learned the hard way that
some flings come with a very hefty price tag. Audrey

(06:33):
Shump twenty four allegedly parted with the victim before heading
back to his airbnb. Once there, our guy reportedly stashed
his thirty thousand dollars Rolegs Daytona under a hat, but
when he took a bathroom break, his gold digging gal
pal apparently saw her chance to make a quick buck,
or rather a quick thirty grand. He came back to

(06:54):
find her reaching for his precious time piece, and she
then bolted from the airbnb. But her time on the
run was short lived. Cops quickly cuffed Hump just a
block away, finding these stolen blings still on her wrist.
She is now facing felony theft charges and is out
on twenty five thousand dollars bond. Further proof time is money. Nancy.

Speaker 1 (07:17):
For the latest crime in justice to use, go to
crimeonline dot com and please join us for our daily podcast,
Crime Stories, where we do our best to find missing people,
especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides. With this crime alert,
I'm Nancy Grace