US rapper Lil Durk has been acquitted of all federal charges in a high-profile murder-for-hire case linked to a fatal shooting in Los Angeles in 2022.
A federal jury in Los Angeles reached the verdict on Friday after three days of deliberations, clearing the Grammy-winning rapper of charges stemming from an alleged plot targeting fellow rapper Quando Rondo.
Prosecutors had accused Lil Durk, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, of organising and financing an attempt to kill Rondo as retaliation for the 2020 killing of his close associate, Chicago rapper Dayvon “King Von” Bennett.
The alleged attack took place on August 19, 2022, when a vehicle carrying Rondo was targeted in a daytime shooting near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles.
Rondo survived the attack, but his cousin, 24-year-old Saviay’a Robinson, was fatally shot.
Federal prosecutors argued that Banks had put the alleged scheme in motion and offered financial support for the intended killing. The defence, however, maintained that the rapper was not involved and pointed to his former personal assistant, Kavon Grant, as the person who arranged the attack.
Banks, 33, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included conspiracy, stalking involving a dangerous weapon, stalking resulting in death and murder-for-hire-related counts.
Two other defendants, Deandre “OTF Dede” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey, were tried alongside Banks. The pair were convicted of stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking but were acquitted of the murder-for-hire charges.
Banks’ acquittal means he will not face the possibility of a life sentence from the charges in the Los Angeles case.
However, his legal battle is not over. The rapper remains in federal custody ahead of a separate trial scheduled for October 5, where he is expected to face racketeering murder and firearms charges.
Following Friday’s verdict, supporters of the rapper gathered outside the Los Angeles courthouse to celebrate.
Banks rose to prominence through his work with the Only The Family (OTF) collective and has released several successful albums. He won the Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance in 2024 for “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole, and has also collaborated with artists including Drake and J. Cole.
