Felony Strangulation Charge Dropped Against Rapper Rick Ross

Miami-Dade prosecutors removed a felony battery by strangulation charge against William Roberts II, known professionally as Rick Ross, on Thursday.

The state attorney's office filed paperwork stating that the evidence was insufficient to support the felony count. Roberts, 50, still faces a misdemeanor charge for domestic violence battery. He has pleaded not guilty to both counts.

The legal filing follows an arrest that began on August 28, when Roberts surrendered to Miami Beach police. He turned himself in two days after a woman he was cohabiting with reported the incident. Officers released him on bail several hours after his surrender. His attorney stated on Friday that the rapper intends to defend himself against the remaining allegations.

According to the arrest report, the complainant told detectives that Roberts accused her of infidelity and struck her multiple times during the dispute. She reported that he choked her with the collar of her shirt and slammed her into a wall. She said she left the residence and returned later to retrieve her belongings after Roberts had departed.

This case adds to Roberts' criminal history in Georgia, where he pleaded no contest to aggravated assault in 2017. That charge stemmed from a 2015 incident in which he allegedly forced a man into a guesthouse at his suburban Atlanta home and beat him with a handgun. A Georgia first-time offender program subsequently issued an order exonerating him of guilt on that felony count.

Roberts has resided in South Florida for many years and built his career starting with his 2006 debut single, "Hustlin'". The track was certified platinum twice by the Recording Industry Association of America and led to his signing with Def Jam Records. His debut album, "Port of Miami," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. He has since released multiple top-ranked albums, including "Trilla" and "Deeper Than Rap," and has received nine Grammy nominations. In 2008, he founded Maybach Music Group, a label that signed artists such as Wale, Meek Mill, and French Montana. His latest album, "Set In Stone," came out in July.