By Fatma Younis
Prosecutors have dropped a felony charge of battery by strangulation against rapper Rick Ross, a month after his arrest in Miami Beach on domestic violence allegations. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office filed paperwork Thursday citing insufficient evidence.
Misdemeanor Charge Remains
Ross, 50, whose legal name is William Roberts II, still faces a misdemeanor charge of battery domestic violence. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his attorney said Friday that Ross will continue to defend himself.
Arrest Details
Ross surrendered at the Miami Beach police station on Oct. 1, two days after a woman he was living with filed a police report. He was released on bail hours later. According to the arrest report, the woman alleged Ross accused her of cheating and struck her multiple times on Aug. 28, also choking her with her shirt collar and slamming her into a wall.
Previous Legal Issues
In 2017, Ross pleaded no contest to aggravated assault in Georgia after being accused of forcing a man into a guesthouse at his Atlanta mansion in 2015 and beating him with a handgun. Under a first-time offender program, the court later exonerated him of guilt on that felony count.
Career Background
Ross rose to prominence in 2006 with his debut single “Hustlin’” and helped establish Miami as a hip-hop hub. His debut album “Port of Miami” topped the Billboard 200, and he has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards. In 2008 he founded the label Maybach Music Group.
