Anthony Ricco, one of the attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs in his federal case, has filed a motion to step down as the incarcerated mogul’s lawyer, as indicated in a motion submitted on Friday morning.
In the motion, Ricco is unclear about the motives behind his desire to step down from representing Combs, whose trial is scheduled to start in May. “Even though I have delivered the level of legal representation that the court anticipates for Sean Combs, I cannot, under any circumstances, continue to effectively act as his counsel,” he stated. He also mentioned that there are “adequate grounds” safeguarded by attorney/client privilege for him to be brief in his request to withdraw.
The judge must approve Ricco’s motion, and the attorney asserts that there will be no postponement in jury selection or the trial. The motion highlights that he notified the government of his plan to withdraw, and that the government offered no stance on the motion.
Ricco was first employed in September 2024 and is among the various attorneys defending Combs in his federal lawsuit. Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos will remain as legal representatives.
Read more: Defense claims Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was ‘targeted’ due to his race
Combs’ representatives and Ricco did not promptly reply to Variety’s request for feedback.
Combs is presently in jail in Brooklyn while he waits for his trial. In September 2024, he faced charges for conspiracy to commit racketeering; sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion; and transportation for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Last week, a lawsuit filed by a Jane Doe accusing both him and Jay-Z of sexual assault was dismissed, while Combs initiated a separate defamation suit for $100 million against NBCUniversal, Peacock, and Ample Entertainment concerning their documentary “Making of a Bad Boy.”
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