Larry Hammond wrapped up his testimony in the Robert Ergonis kidnapping trial this morning.
Robert Ergonis is accused of kidnapping Josh Conway in December 2007 after his former girlfriend, Kumari Fulbright, told him Conway had stolen and sold some of the jewelry Ergonis had given her while they were dating.
Prosecutor Kim Ortiz told jurors Hammond was in the "wrong place at the wrong time" and ended up becoming an unwilling participant in the kidnapping.
Hammond was facing mandatory prison time in the case, but copped a deal and is now serving probation.
Defense attorney Paul Gattone told jurors Hammond was known as "Crackhead Larry" prior to the incident and is a less-than-credible witness.
Hammond spent Friday afternoon answering Ortiz's questions and this morning answering Gattone's.
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Hammond was a $50-a-day plus homeless crack addict when he agreed to help a buddy fix up a house that Ergonis wanted to rent in December 2007.
His buddy ended up getting arrested and when Ergonis found Hammond sleeping inside the house, he woke him up with a gun in his face, Hammond said.
The situation got straightened out and Hammond was working on the house when Ergonis and David Radde showed up with a restrained Conway the next day, he said.
Hammond testified he ended up holding a gun on Conway for hours, partly because he thought he could get some money out of the deal and partly because he was scared of Ergonis, who threatened him three times.
During Gattone's cross-examination, Hammond acknowledged several things:
* When he gave his free talk, he'd already listened to and read Conway's statement. (A free talk is when defendants can tell their side of the story in the hopes prosecutors will cut them a deal, but their statements can't be used against them if no deals are cut.)
* Hammond also had police reports in advance of his free talk.
* Hammond told authorities he never saw Ergonis or Radde with a gun.
* He says the only person who threatened to take Conway "out into the desert" was Fulbright.
* Hammond says Fulbright and Conway smoked pot together two or three times, something Conway denied last week.
* Hammond claims he told Conway he wouldn't do anything if Conway tried to escape, but Conway never tried to run.
* Hammond told police Ergonis had a gun in a shoulder holster, but he told Gattone prior to trial the holster was empty.
* He left Fulbright's house three times, but he never called police or thought about not going back.
* Ergonis never drank alcohol or used drugs during the incident, but Fulbright smoked pot and drank both beer and vodka, Hammond said.
* Although Conway says he escaped when Ergonis left to get more beer and duct tape, Hammond testified he thought Ergonis had left the house for good.
Radde is expected to testify this afternoon. Fulbright will more than likely testify tomorrow.
