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personpersonLouis BronsteinLouis BronsteinFBI special agent who recorded the April 20, 2016 Dolce Vita restaurant meeting between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua and testified as a witness in four trials.← All People
Law enforcement· FBI

Louis Bronstein

FBI special agent who recorded the April 20, 2016 Dolce Vita restaurant meeting between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua and testified as a witness in four trials.

AppearedGarcia–MagbanuaMagbanua RetrialCharlie AdelsonDonna Adelson
196 lines·11 proceedings·4 trials

About

Bronstein’s testimony provides the evidentiary foundation and stated limitations for recordings and related surveillance materials documenting the April 20, 2016 Dolce Vita meeting between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua.

Louis Bronstein is an FBI special agent who testified about surveillance of an April 20, 2016 meeting between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua at Dolce Vita. He described using concealed audio-video equipment near the meeting, identifying the participants, and reviewing the resulting recordings. His testimony authenticated recordings admitted under different exhibit numbers and, in Donna Adelson’s trial, related surveillance photographs. Bronstein repeatedly explained that restaurant noise or air-conditioning limited his ability to hear much of the conversation directly, while maintaining that the recordings fairly and accurately captured what was recorded. Questioning also addressed the equipment, FBI reporting practices, and the limits of his personal observations.

Trial Record (11)

GMGarcia–MagbanuaSep 26, 2019 – Oct 11, 2019Called by prosecution

On Day 8, FBI Special Agent Louis Bronstein authenticated an audio-video recording of a 2016 meeting between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua, then was cross-examined about his investigative role, the recording equipment, reporting, and the limits of what he observed.

Day 8

DirectLouis Bronstein - DirectLouis BronsteinGeorgia Cappleman2highlights22lines spoken

Summary

FBI agent Louis Bronstein authenticated and identified the participants in a poorly audible surveillance recording of Charlie Adelson and Katie Magbanua's restaurant meeting; the court admitted State's Exhibit 154.

Highlights (2)

evidence eventBronstein authenticated State's Exhibit 154 as the recording made during FBI surveillance of a meeting between Charlie Adelson and Katie Magbanua at Dolce vita.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“There was a lot of background noise in the restaurant. The one fragment of a sentence that I could clearly hear I authored a -- what's called an FBI 302 Form regarding that.”— Louis BronsteinBronstein explained the limited audibility of the surveillance recording and the narrow extent of what he could clearly hear.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossLouis Bronstein - CrossLouis BronsteinSaam Zangeneh4highlights27lines spoken

Summary

Bronstein said he did not make investigative decisions and described the laptop-sized messenger-bag device used for the surveillance recording.

Highlights (4)

Quote“Decisions, no. Action, yes. At that time I was a very junior special agent.”— Louis BronsteinBronstein distinguished his surveillance role from responsibility for investigative decisions.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
evidence eventBronstein described the audio-video device used for the restaurant surveillance as a messenger bag containing a laptop-sized device with microphones and a small camera lens.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I think it could best be described as a messenger bag with -- the device itself is roughly the size of a laptop. And it has numerous holes for microphones on one side of it and a small camera lens and I believe just one button, an on/off button. And the idea is you hold it as if it is a messenger bag with a laptop in it, and whatever way it's facing is whatever audio and video it's going to capture.”— Louis BronsteinBronstein gave the jury a detailed description of the equipment used to make the surveillance recording.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
KMMagbanua RetrialMay 18, 2022 – May 27, 2022Called by prosecution

On Day 5, FBI Special Agent Louis Bronstein authenticated recordings from surveillance of Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua at Dolce Vita. He acknowledged that restaurant noise limited what he could personally discern of their conversation.

Day 5

DirectLouis Bronstein - DirectLouis BronsteinGeorgia Cappleman4highlights43lines spoken

Summary

FBI agent Louis Bronstein authenticated recordings of a Dolce Vita surveillance meeting between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua; State's Exhibit 114 was admitted.

Highlights (4)

testimony highlightBronstein described the FBI surveillance of Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua at Dolce Vita and the use of a concealed audio/video recording device.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
testimony highlightBronstein said restaurant noise prevented him from discerning most of the conversation and that he would need to see the video to be certain about the order of departure.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I could overhear that a conversation was taking place. Due to the background noise, I could not discern what was exactly being said except for one particular moment where it sounded like the air handler for the climate control for the building just stopped for a brief moment and there was a substantially smaller amount of background noise.”— Louis BronsteinDefines the limits of the agent's personal observations of the recorded meeting.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossLouis Bronstein - CrossLouis BronsteinChristopher DeCoste2highlights9lines spoken

Summary

Bronstein said his assessment at Dolce Vita was limited to seeing Magbanua engaged in conversation with Charlie Adelson.

Highlights (2)

testimony highlightBronstein testified that his overall assessment of the restaurant encounter was that Katherine Magbanua was engaged in conversation with Charlie Adelson, and agreed that this was the extent of his assessment.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“My impression was that she was engaged in a conversation with Charlie Adelson. That was my overall assessment, if you will.”— Louis BronsteinLimits the agent's observation to a general assessment of the Dolce Vita conversation.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CACharlie AdelsonOct 26, 2023 – Nov 6, 2023Called by prosecution

On Day 4, FBI Special Agent Louis Bronstein identified the Dolce Vita recording admitted as State's Exhibit 109 and was questioned about the limits of what he could observe and hear at the restaurant.

Day 4

CrossLouis Bronstein - CrossLouis BronsteinDan Rashbaum2highlights9lines spoken

Summary

Bronstein acknowledged he did not know what was discussed before the restaurant recording and could not hear much of the conversation directly.

Highlights (2)

DADonna AdelsonAug 22, 2025 – Sep 4, 2025Called by prosecution

On Day 4, FBI Special Agent Louis Bronstein described a 2016 restaurant surveillance operation, including recordings and photographs admitted into evidence. He said air-conditioning limited what he could hear directly, and the defense waived cross-examination.

Day 4

DirectLouis Bronstein - DirectLouis BronsteinGeorgia Cappleman3highlights28lines spoken

Summary

FBI agent Louis Bronstein authenticated surveillance evidence from an April 2016 restaurant meeting; the court admitted related photographs and State's Exhibit 114 without objection.

Highlights (3)

Quote“Move towards the Dolce Vita restaurant with the intent of conducting physical and technical surveillance of the meeting inside.”— Louis BronsteinBronstein described the purpose of his role in the FBI operation.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“It was tough to hear because of the air-conditioning system.”— Louis BronsteinHe identified a limitation on what he could hear directly during the restaurant surveillance.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶