Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk has been acquitted in a federal murder-for-hire case tied to an alleged retaliation plot against rival rapper Quando Rondo, an attack that left another man dead.
Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, was found not guilty Friday of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder for hire after a federal jury in Los Angeles deliberated for three days.
The verdict drew a large crowd of supporters to the downtown Los Angeles federal courthouse, with Machine Gun Kelly and Kanye West among the artists in attendance.
“Lil Durk is not guilty on ALL COUNTS,” Ye posted on X.
Prosecutors had accused the 33-year-old Chicago native of financing a group of men to travel to Los Angeles in August 2022, track Rondo and his entourage, and carry out an ambush. Authorities said three gunmen opened fire on the rapper’s Cadillac Escalade outside a gas station near the Beverly Center shopping mall.
Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Terrel Bowman, survived the shooting, but his 24-year-old cousin Saviay’a Robinson, known as Lul Pab, was killed.
Investigators said roughly 18 rounds were fired into the SUV carrying Rondo and his cousin.
Federal prosecutors argued the shooting was meant as payback after a member of Rondo’s crew killed Durk’s close friend, rapper King Von — born Dayvon Bennett — during a 2020 shooting outside an Atlanta nightclub.
That earlier deadly encounter began after Bennett and Rondo got into a fistfight at a hookah lounge, before Bennett was fatally shot.
“(Durk) had his shooters on speed dial,” Assistant US Attorney Ian Yanniello told jurors during closing arguments, according to the Los Angeles Times. “No one is saying he was the one on the ground with a gun in his hand in Los Angeles, but you know this story doesn’t happen without him, and it doesn’t make sense without his leadership.”
“(Durk) used his money, his power, and his influence to try to kill his biggest opp,” Yanniello added.
The trial also featured testimony from Kacey “OTF Jam” Hester and Keith Jones, two men who admitted involvement in the shooting, as well as from Durk’s former personal assistant, Kavon Grant, the outlet reported.
Attorneys for Durk painted Hester, Jones and Grant as unreliable “snitches, cooperators, rats” who had testified to get lighter sentences.
He claimed Grant was a “master of deception” who had access to Durk’s money to secure the guns and get revenge for Bennett’s death, his cousin.
“[Federal agents] targeted Durk,” defense attorney Brian Steel said, according the Los Angeles Times.
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 Robinson’s murder trial.
The jury had acquitted the two of murder for hire.
“Today, the jury delivered justice to the family of Saviay’a Robinson, finding defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey guilty of stalking resulting in Mr. Robinson’s death,” First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said after the verdicts. “While we are disappointed with the jury’s decision regarding Durk Banks, a.k.a. ‘Lil Durk,’ we look forward to presenting our evidence at his second trial.”
Wilson’s attorney has already requested that the judge acquit him of the convictions.
“We thank the jury for seeing there was no murder for hire,” Craig Harbaugh told the Associated Press. “We are confident the remaining counts will not survive our pending motion for acquittal.”
Durk remains behind bars, despite the acquittal, as he awaits a trial for a racketeering charge
He is best known for his hit 2023 “All My Life” featuring J. Cole that won the Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
With Post wires
