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In a request submitted to the Southern District of New York on Friday, Feb. 21, attorney Anthony Ricco filed a motion to leave Diddy's case, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.
In his filing, Ricco reportedly gave a short statement with a vague explanation, as reported by Deadline: "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, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice."
Ricco also said he exiting "respectfully but regrettably," the outlet reported.
The exit comes only two months before Combs' trial, which is set to begin in May, as Daily Voice reported.
Ricco's decision is not expected to delay the trial. Combs is still represented by five other attorneys including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Combs, a 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchester County's Mount Vernon, was arrested on Sept. 17, 2024, on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
According to federal officials, beginning as far back as 2008, Combs ran a criminal enterprise that involved sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
As part of this business, Combs would allegedly force women to engage in frequent days-long sexual activity with male commercial sex workers that he referred to as "Freak Offs." To make sure his victims participated in these "Freak Offs," Combs would use violence and intimidation to leverage his power over them. This leverage was obtained by distributing narcotics to victims, exploiting his financial support to them, and threatening to cut off this support. He would also control their careers, federal officials said.
In addition to federal charges, Combs also faces a long list of lawsuits from past alleged victims, including 120 people with various allegations against him occurring over two decades all represented by Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee.
Since his arrest in September, Combs has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Deadline reported.
Click here to read the full reports by The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.
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