Trevell “G. Dep” Coleman has a new lawyer working for him on his murder case, and the high profile criminal defense attorney has quite a long list of controversial clients. XXLMag.com recently spoke with Anthony L. Ricco—who has represented such people as the police officer that shot Sean Bell (NYPD Detective Gescard F. Isnora), infamous mob turncoat Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, and a number of terrorists linked to Osama Bin Laden—to find out why a person of his pedigree decided to defend Dep.

Ricco said he chose to take the rapper’s case because, like the ex-Diddy protégé, he too was born and raised in Harlem and felt as though it was his duty to help. “I grew up in Harlem,” Ricco told XXL, “and I found him, Trevell Coleman’s case, fascinating. Fascinating as an older guy in the neighborhood, who happens to be a lawyer, looking at the way a younger guy who tried to make it out got caught.”

Furthermore, Ricco explained that in this particular case he is not looking for financial gain. “It has taken the African American community hundreds of years to produce X amount of lawyers,” he continued. “What’s the point of the community producing lawyers if they become so expensive that they’re out of reach to the community? So some of us say you know what, we make our time available for people that couldn’t ordinarily represent them. He took an extraordinary step, so I’m taking an extraordinary step towards him, because I think I could help him. I think I could help the case. Call it prominence, call it fate, [but] he’s finally crossed paths with somebody that could help him that doesn’t have an alternative motive. And perhaps I could help him with more than the case, with putting his life together. He’s a talented guy.”

As previously reported, the former Bad Boy artist is currently facing murder, manslaughter and gun charges stemming from a botched robbery attempt from over 17 years ago. The 36-year-old rapper surprisingly confessed to shooting John Henkel on October 19, 1993 last December in East Harlem’s 25^th precinct. After admitting to the crime, he says he was informed that Henkel died of the gunshot wounds.

Dep pleaded not guilty to the charges in court last week and Ricco doubts the case will even go to trial. “In most cold case murders, it’s very rare that those cases are tried,” he said. “And that’s for the obvious reasons: memories are faded, witnesses can’t be located and what I suspect here is that outside of his statement, there probably is no evidence pointing to him committing this offense.

In addition, Rico believes that Dep confessed to the crime while under the influence of PCP—a drug the rapper has struggled with for over a decade.

Currently being held in George Motchan Detention Center without bail, G. Dep’s next scheduled court appearance is on February 10. He faces 25 years to life for the crime. —Jesse Gissen