Prosecutors drop Rick Ross felony charge; misdemeanor case remains

Prosecutors have dropped a felony strangulation-related battery charge against rapper Rick Ross, citing insufficient evidence, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. A misdemeanor domestic violence battery charge remains pending.

The decision removes the felony count but does not end the domestic violence case. Ross has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his attorney said Friday that he would continue to contest the allegations, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office submitted paperwork Thursday withdrawing the felony count, according to court records cited by ABC7 Los Angeles. Prosecutors identified a lack of sufficient evidence as the reason for the decision.

The case stems from an alleged Aug. 28 incident. According to an arrest report cited by ABC7 Los Angeles, a woman alleged that Ross repeatedly struck her, used her shirt collar to choke her and slammed her against a wall after accusing her of cheating.

Ross, 50, whose legal name is William Roberts II, turned himself in at the Miami Beach police station on Oct. 1. The surrender came two days after the woman reported the allegations to police, and he was released on bail several hours later, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

In a separate case in Georgia, Ross entered a no-contest plea to aggravated assault in 2017. A court later issued an order exonerating him of guilt on that felony count through a first-time offender program, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Ross founded Maybach Music Group in 2008 and has received nine Grammy Award nominations, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The misdemeanor allegation remains unresolved.