Jonathan Grossman — Direct/Cross
201 linesJUDGE EVERETT: State, please call your next witness.
JUDGE EVERETT: Do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give will be the truth?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I do.
JUDGE EVERETT: You may take your seat.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Thank you.
JUDGE EVERETT: Please speak loudly and clearly.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Please say your name and spell your name.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Sure. Jonathan Grossman. J-O-N-A-T-H-A-N, G-R-O-S-S-M-A-N.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: How are you employed?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I'm a police detective with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: How long have you been with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I've been with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office since January of 2011.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: What about before that?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I was assigned — or I was a police officer with the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department since 2004.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And were you called upon to assist in a murder case that happened here in Tallahassee?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I was.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Were you asked to assist with the search warrant of the defendant's residence?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I was.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Where is that residence?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: It's located at 2127 Brickell Avenue, apartment 1602.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: And when was the search warrant conducted?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: November 14th, 2023.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: As part of the search warrant, did you take photos of the residence?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, photographs were taken.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: All right, I'm going to show you some of those, which I've marked as 140, 143 through 163.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Are they fair and accurate photos of the residence that appeared that day?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: At this time I'd ask to move it into evidence.
JUDGE EVERETT: Any objection?
MS. FULFORD: Objection.
JUDGE EVERETT: State's 143 through 163 are admitted.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: May I come up?
JUDGE EVERETT: Please silence all devices.
JUDGE EVERETT: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: May I come up?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: State's 144.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Is it a condominium located in a high-rise?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am, it is.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: State's Exhibit 145.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Is this kind of the view from the entrance to the residence?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am. That would be closest to the front door, looking in.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Did you observe some luggage there — there in the residence, I guess, toward the entryway?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, there was luggage.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: State's 147. Must — be better when it's zoomed in.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: 148, use the luggage tags.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Consistent with destination Saigon by way of Dubai?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: State's exhibit 150, as part of the search warrant, did you see some camera equipment?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, we did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Did you also take possession of some visas? Publishing State's 149, Vietnam visas?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, we did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Can I approach and show you what's been marked as State's 129 and 130?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Are those the visas that were seized?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: In whose name are those visas?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: One is Harvey Adelson and the other is Donna Adelson.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Are those in the same or substantially the same condition as they were when you seized them?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: We'd move into evidence 129 and 130, Your Honor.
JUDGE EVERETT: Any objection?
MS. FULFORD: No objection.
JUDGE EVERETT: 129 and 130 are admitted.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Publishing State's exhibit 146.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Did you seize this day planner?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: We did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Is this planner — is this how it was open, been like this when you found it?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, it was.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: 59 first — is that the day?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, it is.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Is it in the same or substantially the same condition as when you impounded it?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Judge, at this time, I'd ask to move into evidence State's 59.
MS. FULFORD: Yes, Judge.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: I'm sorry.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Strike that. I wasn't moving it in.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: 59A, sir, showing you that now.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: The intention, Judge, is just to have 59 identified and 59A admitted.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Sir, 59A — have you had an opportunity to examine it?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I recall part of it from the 59.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And does 59A contain copies of pages from 59?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: From what it appears, yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: At this time I'd ask to move into evidence 59A.
JUDGE EVERETT: Any objection?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Thank you.
JUDGE EVERETT: 59A is admitted.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Publishing State's 143.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Was this note present there at the residence?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: It was.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Where was this note found?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: It was found on the floor in one of the bedrooms.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay, and it appears to be offering some information about an M11 gun to be sold.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Correct.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Yeah, you did say the date that the search was conducted, but in case anybody missed it, will you say it again please?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Sure, November 14th, 2023.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No further questions, Judge.
JUDGE EVERETT: Cross-examination.
MS. FULFORD: Good afternoon.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Good afternoon.
MS. FULFORD: You came all the way from Miami?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: Sorry about that.
MS. FULFORD: You indicated that the search was done on November the 14th of 2023. What time of day did you get there?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I think we arrived around 1:15, 1:30, and I think we executed the warrant around 2:30 p.m. Yes.
MS. FULFORD: And who was present?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: It was myself, Sergeant Michael Scott, Sergeant Paul Villaverde, Detective David Denmark, and there were members of our priority response team.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Was any of the occupants — were they present?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, Mr. Harvey Adelson was present.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. And you had a search warrant with certain things you were permitted to obtain — so were you involved in the search yourself, or you were just in charge of...
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yeah, no, our team — I was the affiant on the warrant, and then our team assisted with the... my team assisted with the search.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Was it a thorough search?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I mean, yeah, we were looking for certain things.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: We had an electronics canine dog also come to assist, and we conducted the search.
MS. FULFORD: What does an electronics canine dog do?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Searches for electronic devices.
MS. FULFORD: And did the dog find anything?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I don't remember specifically if there was anything the dog identified to. He may have hit in the closet area where a laptop was.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. And are they trained to get battery-operated and, like, plugged-in electronic devices?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I'm not too sure what the level of training. I'm not a handler.
MS. FULFORD: Did you see the dog in the closet? You said it alerted to something in the closet?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: No, I said I believe he alerted to a laptop that was in the closet. I'm just going off of memory.
MS. FULFORD: Did you observe that?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: No. Did not.
MS. FULFORD: All right. See here, just a second. Did you make a list of the items that were seized?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: There are a series of property receipts that were prepared after.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Based on the search warrant that you got — every search warrant has some kind of limitations, although when you read them it doesn't really seem that limited — but in this case you were able to search anything that was there: electronic, paper, sticky notes, etc., if it had the evidence that you in your search warrant had sought to look at, correct?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Correct.
MS. FULFORD: And that would have been financial records, asset ownership records, etc., etc.?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I believe so, yes.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Were you the one responsible for making sure that each area that was within the home was searched?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Ultimately our team does that, so it's kind of an effort by everybody that was involved in the search itself. Okay, so I would say as a group, yes, the apartment was searched.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. And you're allowed to go into — you can open drawers, you can open boxes, you can open dressers, all of those things, right?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: May I approach the witness.
MS. FULFORD: I'm going to show you what's already been introduced into evidence, the State's exhibit 160.
MS. FULFORD: Does that appear to be one of the photographs of the one of the closets that was searched?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: And 157, that's been entered of the State's — does that also appear to be?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. And looking at exhibit 157 — I'm sorry, I don't mean to get in your personal space.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: No, you're good.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. In 157, this appears to be female clothing here, correct?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: It does.
MS. FULFORD: And on the left-hand side it looks like blouses on the top right?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: Jackets on the bottom, correct?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: And then on the right-hand side, you can see some dresses that are hanging up, correct?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Appears to be, yes.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. And on 160, take your time looking at it, but does that show any electronic devices in that particular closet?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: If you look towards the end, you see a USPS box, and there will be a laptop underneath.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Did you notice anything else?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Nothing's jumping out at me right now.
MS. FULFORD: I got really bad eyesight because I'm old.
MS. FULFORD: See that little light under there?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Underneath that blouse?
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Does that appear to be something electronic?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: It could be.
MS. FULFORD: Is that a light that's on?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I see a dot there on that.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Did you all — excuse me — do you recall as part of the search going through a safe?
MS. FULFORD: So there would be no pictures of the safe that was present in the home?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I don't recall pictures of the safe.
MS. FULFORD: If there is a safe, with your search warrant you have the right to go into it, correct?
MS. FULFORD: To look for the items that are authorized to get in the search warrant?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. If you, if someone there had located the safe, you would document that with pictures as well?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I believe so, so yes.
MS. FULFORD: And what time did you say you left?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I don't recall.
MS. FULFORD: You don't recall?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: What time we left? It might have been three something.
MS. FULFORD: Three something?
MS. FULFORD: So you were there at least a couple of hours?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: By the time we, I believe we executed the warrant around 2.23 maybe, 2.20 p.m. So we left probably about an hour later, I think.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. And gosh, I just lost my train of thought.
MS. FULFORD: When you went and executed the search warrant, were you kind of aware about the general facts in this case, what the allegations were?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes.
MS. FULFORD: Was this your first assignment on the case?
MS. FULFORD: What else had you done on the case?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: In 2015 we assisted with the case.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. I believe you maybe did some searching of the Prius.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I did.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Were you aware that there was an allegation that there were stacks of $100 bills that were in groups of 10, which would be $1,000 if my math is still correct, and they were stapled together? Were you aware of that?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I've heard that during the course of the investigation.
MS. FULFORD: If you had found that inside the apartment, would you have documented that?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Probably.
MS. FULFORD: Just one second, please.
MS. FULFORD: One of the photographs that the state entered — and I'll go get it if you don't remember it — but one of them that they entered had some luggage.
MS. FULFORD: You remember that picture?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: Did you all search the luggage?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I don't believe we entered the bag, no.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Thank you. I have nothing further.
JUDGE EVERETT: Redirect?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No, Your Honor.
JUDGE EVERETT: You may step down, Detective. Will you be recalled?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No, sir.
JUDGE EVERETT: You are released, sir. Thank you. Have a good day.