Griggs Cross

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA - WESTERN DIVISION
HONORABLE JOHN F. WALTER, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
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Plaintiff,
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vs.
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TEOFIL BRANK,
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Defendant.
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__________________________________)
Case No.
CR 15-131-JFW
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REPORTER'S TRANSCRIPT OF
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF JUSTIN GRIGGS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015
10:19 A.M.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
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________________________________________________________
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MIRANDA ALGORRI, CSR 12743, CRR

FEDERAL
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312
NORTH
LOS
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OFFICIAL
COURT
SPRING
STREET,
ANGELES,
REPORTER
CALIFORNIA
ROOM
435
90012
MIRANDAALGORRI@GMAIL.COM
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APPEARANCES OF COUNSEL:
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FOR THE PLAINTIFF:

EILEEN DECKER
United States Attorney
BY: KIMBERLY DENISE JAIMEZ
BY: EDDIE JAUREGUI
BY: RYAN WHITE
Assistant United States Attorney
United States Courthouse
312 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
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FOR THE DEFENDANT:

SEAN K. KENNEDY
Federal Public Defender
BY: SEEMA AHMAD
BY: ASHFAQ G. CHOWDHURY
Deputy Federal Public Defender
Central District of California
321 East Second Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
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M A S T E R
I N D E X
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Chronological Index of Witnesses
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Government's
Witness:
Griggs, Justin
Direct
Cross
Redirect
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Recross
Voir
Dire
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EXHIBITS
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Exhibits
For
In
Withdrawn
Identification Evidence or Rejected
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(None)
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015

10:19 A.M.
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(Prior proceedings held and reported
but not included herein.)
CROSS-EXAMINATION
BY MR. CHOWDHURY:
Good afternoon, Mr. Griggs.
Good afternoon.
How are you?
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Good.
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So, Mr. Griggs, Don Burns, you said you met him on the
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island of Nantucket?
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Yes.
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For some of us who are from California, where is
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Nantucket?
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believe.
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It's an island off the coast of Boston?
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Yeah.
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And how did you get there?
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We flew.
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How did you fly?
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It was a jet I believe.
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Whose jet was it?
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I'm not sure if it was Don's or just a jet.
It's off of Boston, right off the coast of Boston I
It was a private jet.
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Did Don Burns arrange it?
Yes.
Who else was on the jet?
I'm not sure.
Were they other young --
Well, one person was Hayden, but there was another I can't
recall.
The other person was a young male as well?
Yeah.
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Okay.
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Right.
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So how many people total went to Don's house?
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The first time?
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Yeah.
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I think it was around three.
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And you said Hayden had sent you a text message initially
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saying, "Do you want to meet a wealthy person?"
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Yes.
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"And make some money."
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the emojis?
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emoji.
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mentioned -- so you mentioned that he -- you also flew to Don's
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house in Florida; is that right?
I can't recall.
And he was going to Don's house?
And with some emoji -- what were
You know, just like a -- like a little like penis-shaped
Okay.
So that was the first time, and then you
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Right.
That's in Palm Beach?
Yes.
Okay.
We would just fly normal flights.
Okay.
Don.
So Don would pay for the flights to go out to Palm Beach?
Yes.
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How many times would you say you've been to the Palm Beach
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house?
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I can't recall.
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More than three or four times?
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Oh, yeah.
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More than that for sure?
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Yes.
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These were -- would you call them parties?
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characterize what happened at Don's house?
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going to dinner, and then we would have sex, group sex.
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the house, hanging out with other young males like yourself; is
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that right?
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Yes.
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And then at night then there would be the group sex.
And how would you fly there?
And who would pay for the flights?
I'd have to --
More than three or four for sure.
How would you
It was really just hanging out, surfing, grilling out,
Okay.
So during the day kind of normal activities around
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Yes.
And it was usually one night?
One night, yes.
And then in the morning I think you said everyone got
paid?
The next morning, yes.
And how did that happen?
Just an envelope he would hand us.
Who would deliver the envelope?
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Don.
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Okay.
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Yes.
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Okay.
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that you got after these overnight trips, Don also gave you
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some other money; is that right?
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Yeah.
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You mentioned some of those -- he paid for some of your
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dental work; right?
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No.
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Didn't you meet with FBI agents I believe on the -- well,
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a couple days ago and talk to them about the things that Don
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had provided you?
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Yes.
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Okay.
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paid for for you?
And everybody got an envelope?
Now, in addition to the envelopes, the payments
Just gifts?
Yeah.
And did they discuss some of the things Don had
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Not really.
Would it help -- one moment.
Do you recall statements about gifts that Don had given to
you for dental work?
That wasn't from Don.
Who was that from?
That was from another friend of mine.
I see.
Now, you also mentioned in this interview which was on the
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6th -- is that right? -- with FBI agents on the phone, you
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mentioned that you didn't want to give details about an
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individual because he was very powerful and you feared for the
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safety if you disclose information.
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there?
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MR. JAUREGUI:
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THE COURT:
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THE WITNESS:
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of the person?
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Relevance.
It was -- should I give you the name
Yes.
MR. JAUREGUI:
Your Honor, I don't understand how
that's relevant.
THE COURT:
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THE WITNESS:
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Objection, Your Honor.
Overruled.
BY MR. CHOWDHURY:
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Who were you talking about
BY MR. CHOWDHURY:
Answer the question.

David Gaffen.
I see.
Now, let's go back to the $12,000 that you asked Don for.
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Don asked you to check the tweet that Mr. Brank supposedly
posted; is that right?
Right.
Okay.
happening with Mr. Brank; is that right?
Not clearly.
Well, you found out that Mr. Brank supposedly had asked
for money; is that right?
Yes.
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Okay.
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Slightly, yeah.
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Why?
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Just for, you know, being brought in the middle.
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Okay.
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there's no reason that you shouldn't get $150,000 for being
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nice and keeping your mouth shut; isn't that right?
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Right.
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You sent a text to Mr. Burns saying, "There's no reason I
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shouldn't get $150,000 for being nice and keeping my mouth
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shut."
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And then you communicated with Don about what was
And you were upset by that.
But you suggested to Mr. Burns, did you not, that
Right.
Is that right?
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Right.
I just felt that, if Don were going to give that
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amount of money to someone, it should go to a good guy, not
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someone who is robbing him basically.
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Well, you said, "I've been very nice to you and have been
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a great friend to you, Don.
there's no reason I shouldn't get $150,000."
If he is getting that much,
Right?
I believe I sent that, yes.
Okay.
"It's not fair.
little."
You said to Don -- you wrote him a text saying,

Sucks that I've been doing so much for so
You sent that text; right?
Yes.
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Now, what did you mean you've been doing so much for so
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little?
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and --
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Right.
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-- done a lot, all that I can for Don.
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Well, could you tell us a little bit more about the things
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you were doing for Don that you felt you were doing so much for
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him?
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asked.
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Additional people to these parties?
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Yes.
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And you would talk to him outside of just your sexual
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encounters?
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As in I just -- I felt like I've been a really good friend
Yeah.
I would bring Don people, if I could, when he
Yes.
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And you said you thought Don was your friend; right?
Yes.
Why did you feel that?
That we built a friendship.
And it was beyond just the sex for pay; right?
Yes.
You would talk to Don about all sorts of things; right?
Right.
He tried to help you; right?
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Right.
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He tried to give you advice; right?
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Yeah.
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Did he -- he felt like a mentor to you; right?
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Yeah.
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Kind of felt like he took you under his wing?
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Not really.
Yeah.
Almost.
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MR. JAUREGUI:
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THE COURT:
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MR. CHOWDHURY:
Objection.
Vague.
Overruled.
One moment, Your Honor.
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Thank you, Mr. Griggs.
No further questions.
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(Further proceedings held and reported
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but not included herein.)
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CERTIFICATE OF OFFICIAL REPORTER
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I, MIRANDA ALGORRI, FEDERAL OFFICIAL REALTIME
COURT REPORTER, IN AND FOR THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR
THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 753, TITLE 28, UNITED STATES CODE THAT THE
FOREGOING IS A TRUE AND CORRECT TRANSCRIPT OF THE
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STENOGRAPHICALLY REPORTED PROCEEDINGS HELD IN THE
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ABOVE-ENTITLED MATTER AND THAT THE TRANSCRIPT PAGE FORMAT IS IN
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CONFORMANCE WITH THE REGULATIONS OF THE JUDICIAL CONFERENCE OF
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THE UNITED STATES.
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DATED THIS
8TH
DAY OF JULY, 2015.
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/S/ MIRANDA ALGORRI

______
MIRANDA ALGORRI, CSR NO. 12743, CRR
FEDERAL OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER
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1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA - WESTERN DIVISION

HONORABLE JOHN F. WALTER, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

MIRANDA ALGORRI, CSR 12743, CRR

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE PLAINTIFF:

FOR THE DEFENDANT:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015

Chronological Index of Witnesses

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015

(Prior proceedings held and reported

but not included herein.)

Good afternoon, Mr. Griggs.

How are you?

For some of us who are from California, where is

It's an island off the coast of Boston?

And how did you get there?

How did you fly?

It was a jet I believe.

Whose jet was it?

I'm not sure if it was Don's or just a jet.

It's off of Boston, right off the coast of Boston I

It was a private jet.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Did Don Burns arrange it?

Who else was on the jet?

I'm not sure.

Were they other young --

The other person was a young male as well?

So how many people total went to Don's house?

The first time?

I think it was around three.

saying, "Do you want to meet a wealthy person?"

"And make some money."

mentioned -- so you mentioned that he -- you also flew to Don's

house in Florida; is that right?

And he was going to Don's house?

And with some emoji -- what were

You know, just like a -- like a little like penis-shaped

So that was the first time, and then you

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

That's in Palm Beach?

We would just fly normal flights.

So Don would pay for the flights to go out to Palm Beach?

More than three or four times?

More than that for sure?

These were -- would you call them parties?

characterize what happened at Don's house?

going to dinner, and then we would have sex, group sex.

And then at night then there would be the group sex.

And how would you fly there?

And who would pay for the flights?

More than three or four for sure.

How would you

It was really just hanging out, surfing, grilling out,

So during the day kind of normal activities around

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

And it was usually one night?