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Sean Combs— Case Archive
personpersonDeLeassa PenlandDeLeassa PenlandSpecial agent at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.← All People
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DeLeassa Penland

Special agent at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

Appeared2025 Federal Trial
1,347 lines·11 proceedings·2 mentions

About

Special Agent DeLeassa Penland testified on Days 28 and 29 as a government summary-chart witness. She reviewed selected phone, message, hotel, travel, financial, and video records used in government charts, made corrections as needed, and identified source materials tied to particular entries.

Before her direct examination resumed on Day 28, the Court addressed the proper boundary for her testimony. It permitted her to describe factual information in the underlying records and charts, but not to offer conclusions about whether people met or were present at a location. The government then used her testimony to identify selected charges, itineraries, hotel invoices, communications, and video references connected to chart entries.

On Day 29, Penland authenticated a March 2016 timeline after reviewing its cited texts, call records, photographs, and other data. She described her role as verifying the accuracy of materials selected for the charts and timeline, not choosing every exhibit or reviewing all evidence in the case.

Defense cross-examination focused on selection and omission. Penland agreed that the charts did not establish certainty in every instance, did not identify every potential person at a gathering, and omitted some communications shown by the defense. She also said the trial team decided what to include in the March 2016 timeline and that she had not reviewed police or incident reports or records of police calls connected to the referenced messages. On redirect, she again identified her task as reviewing the evidence provided to her for chart accuracy.

Key Points

Trial Record (11)

Trial 12025 Federal TrialMay 5, 2025 – Jul 2, 2025Called by prosecution

Special Agent DeLeassa Penland authenticated government summary charts and a March 2016 timeline by reviewing selected underlying records. Cross-examination focused on the limits of those selections, while redirect clarified that her role was to verify the materials provided to her.

Day 28

ProceduralMr. Paul Issue Hearing1highlightMentioned

Summary

The Court limited Agent Penland's summary-chart testimony to factual record descriptions and chart construction, reserving inferences for closing argument.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Highlights (1)

rulingThe Court resolved the dispute over Agent Penland's summary-chart testimony, limiting her to factual descriptions of records and chart construction rather than suggestions about what the records showed occurred.Open in transcript →

Day 29

DirectDeLeassa Penland — DirectDeLeassa PenlandEmily A. Johnson1highlight395lines spoken

Summary

Penland authenticated financial-record charts and a March 2016 communications timeline, which the Court allowed as a demonstrative.

Highlights (1)

rulingPenland described Government Exhibit 1550 as a March 2016 timeline compiled from texts, call records, photographs, and other data; the Court allowed its use as a demonstrative after the defense preserved its prior objection.Open in transcript →
CrossDeLeassa Penland — CrossDeLeassa PenlandTeny R. Geragos3highlights258lines spoken

Summary

Penland said she verified cited chart items rather than adding records as the defense challenged the chart's scope with messages and video clips.

Highlights (3)

testimony highlightPenland acknowledged that she did not conduct the underlying investigation and reviewed only records provided for the chart.Open in transcript →
Quote“No. It's clear someone else is there we don't know who it is. That's why we don't see another name.”— DeLeassa PenlandPenland distinguished the named person on the chart from an unidentified additional person suggested by the underlying message.Open in transcript →
Quote“My job wasn't to add additional items into the chart. It was to verify that the items in the chart were correct, and so that's what I was doing.”— DeLeassa PenlandPenland described the limited role she understood herself to have in reviewing the government's chart.Open in transcript →
CrossDeLeassa Penland — Cross (Resumed)DeLeassa PenlandTeny R. Geragos2highlights313lines spoken

Summary

Penland said the trial team selected the March 2016 timeline's contents and that she had not reviewed police or incident reports for it.

Highlights (2)

testimony highlightPenland testified that the trial team, rather than she, decided what messages to include in the March 2016 timeline.Open in transcript →
Quote“The trial team.”— DeLeassa PenlandPenland identified the trial team as the decision-maker for what the timeline included.Open in transcript →
RedirectDeLeassa Penland — RedirectDeLeassa PenlandEmily A. Johnson2highlights52lines spoken

Summary

Penland’s redirect revisited chart sources and March 2016 messages, clarified the limits of her review, and ended with corrected exhibit admissions and a sealed courtroom matter.

Highlights (2)

objectionAfter Penland testified that she had not received all evidence and did not know what all evidence existed, the Court sustained defense objections to questions about what date gaps in the chart meant.Open in transcript →
Quote“To review the evidence provided to me and verify the accuracy of the charts.”— DeLeassa PenlandPenland defined the limited role she performed in preparing and checking the government charts.Open in transcript →