A North Carolina federal prosecutor asked the court to replace the lead attorney handling the Justice Department’s case against former FBI Director James Comey, whose trial is scheduled for October.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

The lead prosecutor in the federal case against former FBI Director James Comey is being replaced after a North Carolina U.S. attorney asked the court to make a staffing change in the prosecution tied to Comey’s deleted “8647” seashell post.

U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle, whose office is handling the case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, requested the change in a court filing Friday.

The filing asks the clerk of court to replace Matthew Petracca, who had recently been hired to serve as the case’s lead prosecutor, NBC News reported.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo will now lead the prosecution, according to the filing.

Petracca reportedly asked to be removed from the case and has considered leaving the Justice Department entirely, two people familiar with the matter told NBC News. Petracca did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina also did not respond Friday.

The case stems from a since-deleted Instagram photo Comey posted in May 2025 showing seashells arranged on a North Carolina beach to read “8647.” The number has been interpreted as a reference to killing the 47th president, President Donald Trump.

A North Carolina grand jury indicted Comey last month on charges of threatening the president and transmitting a threat across state lines.

Comey, through his attorney, has denied the allegations but has not yet entered a formal plea.

His trial is scheduled for October.

Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017.