DIDDY’S LAWYER ABRUPTLY QUITS
Photo Credit:REUTERS
Sean "Diddy" Combs faces yet another setback as his lawyer, Anthony Ricco, has abruptly stepped down from his legal team just months before the rapper's highly anticipated trial. Ricco filed a motion to withdraw as counsel in a New York court on Thursday, issuing a cryptic statement about his departure.
"Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs," Ricco stated in his filing. He also emphasized that his decision was based on reasons protected by attorney-client privilege, saying, "There are sufficient reasons (related to the protections afforded by the attorney/client privilege) for brevity in my application for withdrawal as counsel in this case."
Ricco, who had been representing Combs since September 2024, assured the court that his departure would not cause delays in the upcoming trial, scheduled to begin on May 5. "This motion for withdrawal of counsel, if granted, will not result in a delay of the present schedule for the commencement of jury selection and trial," he wrote, adding that Combs still has five other attorneys on his defense team.
Ricco's exit comes as the hip-hop mogul remains incarcerated at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. Combs was indicted by a grand jury following his arrest in September and faces serious federal charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The indictment alleges that Combs and members of his inner circle "wielded the power and prestige of Combs' role at the Combs Business to intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims into Combs' orbit, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship." Prosecutors also claim that Combs arranged and directed "elaborate and produced sex performances," referred to as "freak offs," often recording them while he masturbated.
Combs has repeatedly denied all allegations against him, pleading not guilty. His legal team has dismissed multiple lawsuits filed against him as opportunistic, stating that they are merely attempts at a "quick payday." However, if convicted, the music mogul faces a minimum of 15 years in prison for sex trafficking, with the racketeering charge carrying the possibility of life behind bars. The reason behind Ricco’s sudden departure remains unclear.
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