Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, was acquitted Friday by a federal jury in Los Angeles on charges including conspiracy, stalking resulting in death, and murder for hire. The charges stemmed from an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting rival rapper Quando Rondo and resulting in the death of another man.
Banks, 33, was accused of orchestrating a plan in August 2022 for a group of men to travel to Los Angeles and follow Rondo and his entourage. The plot allegedly culminated when three gunmen opened fire on Rondo's Cadillac Escalade outside a gas station near the Beverly Center shopping mall. Rondo survived the attack, but his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab, was killed in the shooting. Approximately 18 rounds were fired into the SUV.
Prosecutors contended that the shooting was a revenge attack for the death of Lil Durk's close friend and rapper King Von, whose real name is Dayvon Bennett. Bennett was fatally shot in 2020 following an altercation with Rondo's crew at an Atlanta nightclub.
During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello argued that Banks used his financial resources, power, and influence to orchestrate the attack. The prosecution presented testimonies from Kacey “OTF Jam” Hester and Keith Jones, who admitted to firing the shots, as well as Banks's former personal assistant Kavon Grant. Defense attorneys for Banks argued that Hester, Jones, and Grant were unreliable witnesses seeking lighter sentences and that Grant, described as a “master of deception,” had the access to Banks's finances to carry out the plot.
Lil Durk's two co-defendants, Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon, and stalking resulting in death in relation to Robinson’s murder. However, they were acquitted of murder for hire. A representative for the prosecution stated that while they were disappointed with the verdict for Banks, they looked forward to presenting their evidence in a future trial for him on a separate racketeering charge.
Banks remains in federal custody as he awaits trial for the racketeering charge. He is known for his 2023 song “All My Life” featuring J. Cole, which won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance.