3.Jonathan Grossman — Direct/Cross
206 linesMS. CAPPLEMAN: State calls Detective Grossman.
JUDGE EVERETT: Please raise your right hand, Detective.
whereupon, JONATHAN GROSSMAN was called as a witness, having been first duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I do.
JUDGE EVERETT: You may take your seat.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Thank you.
JUDGE EVERETT: Please speak loudly and clearly.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
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-oO-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 Miami-Dade Sheriff's office?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I've been with 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's 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 14, 2023.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: As part of the search warrant, did you take photos of the residence?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, photographs were taken.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. I'm going to show you some of those, which I've marked as 143 through 163.
Just take a moment to look through those.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Are they fair and accurate photos of the residence as they appeared that day?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Judge, at this time, I'd ask to move into evidence 143 through 163.
JUDGE EVERETT: Any objection?
MS. FULFORD: No objection.
JUDGE EVERETT: State's 143 through 163 are admitted.
(State's Exhibit No. 143 - 163 received in evidence.)
MS. CAPPLEMAN: May I publish?
JUDGE EVERETT: Please silence all devices.
Yes, you may publish.
BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Publishing State's 144. Is it a condominium located in a high-rise?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am, it is.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: State's Exhibit 145. 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: Okay. And did you observe some luggage there in the residence, I guess toward the entryway?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, there was luggage.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: State's 147. It seems to be better when it's zoomed in.
State's 148 is 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 seize 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: Approach and show you what's been marked as State's 129 and 130.
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, they are.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Move into evidence 129 and 130, Your Honor.
JUDGE EVERETT: Any objection?
MS. FULFORD: No objection.
JUDGE EVERETT: 129 and 130 are admitted.
(State's Exhibit No. 129 - 130 received in evidence.)
BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Publishing State's Exhibit 146. Did you seize this day planner?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: we did.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Is this planner -- is this how it was, open like this, when you found it?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, it was.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Approaching with State's 59 and 59A. Showing you 59 first.
Is that the day planner that you seized that's pictured on the screen there?
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.
JUDGE EVERETT: Any objection?
MR. ZELMAN: Just a moment, Your Honor.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: I'm sorry. Strike that. I wasn't moving it in.
BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: 59A, sir, I'm showing you that now.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: The intention, Judge, is just to have 59 identified and 59A admitted.
BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
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 do these -- does 59A contain fair and accurate copies of pages from 59?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: From what it appears, yes.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Judge, at this time, I'd ask to move into evidence 59A.
JUDGE EVERETT: Any objection?
MS. FULFORD: No objection.
JUDGE EVERETT: 59A is admitted.
(State's Exhibit No. 59A received in evidence.)
BY MS. CAPPLEMAN:
MS. CAPPLEMAN: Publishing State's 143. 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: Okay. 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 14, 2023.
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No further questions, Judge.
JUDGE EVERETT: Cross-examination?
CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS. FULFORD:
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.
You indicated that the search was done on November 14, 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.
MS. FULFORD: P.m.?
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, our -- no, our team. I was the affiant on the warrant, and 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. we had an electronics K9 dog also come to assist, and we conducted the search.
MS. FULFORD: What does an electronics K9 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?
MS. FULFORD: Did not. Okay. All right. Let me 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 -- 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, et cetera, if it had the evidence that you, in your search warrant, you had sought to look at, correct?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Correct.
MS. FULFORD: And that would have been financial records, asset ownership records, et cetera, et cetera?
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.
MS. FULFORD: Okay.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: 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: Okay. May I approach the witness?
JUDGE EVERETT: You may.
MS. FULFORD: Thank you.
BY MS. FULFORD:
MS. FULFORD: I'm going to show you what's already been introduced into evidence as State's Exhibit 160.
Does that be -- 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 -- in Exhibit 157 -- I'm sorry, I don't mean to get in your personal space.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: No. No. 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 right -- 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, does that -- 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 would be a laptop underneath.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. Did you notice anything else?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Not that's jumping out at me right now.
MS. FULFORD: I've got really bad eyesight because I'm old. You see that little light under there, underneath that blouse?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Okay.
MS. FULFORD: Does that appear to be something electronic?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: It could be.
MS. FULFORD: Is it a light that's on?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I see a dot there. I'm not --
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, no.
MS. FULFORD: If there -- if there is a safe with your search warrant, you have the right to go into it, correct, to look for the items that are authorized to get in the search warrant, right?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Yes, ma'am.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. If you had -- if someone there had located the safe, you would document that with pictures as well?
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: I believe so, yes.
MS. FULFORD: Okay. 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? 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.
when you went and executed the search warrant, were you kind of aware about the general facts in this case, what the allegations were?
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 a thousand 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.
BY MS. FULFORD:
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. You saw -- do 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 he be recalled?
MS. CAPPLEMAN: No, sir.
JUDGE EVERETT: You are released, sir.
JONATHAN GROSSMAN: Thank you.