Lil Durk and the murder-for-hire charge, explained

In October Lil Durk was arrested near Miami International Airport on a federal charge of murder-for-hire. The Chicago-born Grammy winner and drill rap pioneer is alleged to have conspired to kill a rival rapper as retaliation for the 2020 killing of King Von, a member of Durk’s Only the Family (O.T.F.) collective. According to the federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Durk put out a bounty on the life of Quando Rondo in 2022. The planned hit was not successful, though it did result in the fatal shooting of Saviay'a Robinson, Rondo’s cousin.

Durk, 32, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, remains in federal custody and was arraigned in Los Angeles on November 15. He has been charged with conspiracy to use interstate facilities to commit murder for hire resulting in death. He has pleaded not guilty.

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Representatives for Lil Durk have not responded to a request for comment.

Here’s what we know about the Lil Durk case so far:

Lil Durk established himself as a stylistic maverick long before the release of his debut album (2015’s Remember My Name). As a teenager in Chicago, he released a string of mixtapes and collaborations that helped define the menacing, visceral strain of street rap known as drill, and establish melodic rap as a creative force. His commercial breakthrough came in 2020 with Just Cause Y’All Waited 2, buoyed by the success of the single “3 Headed Goat” featuring Lil Baby and Gunna. “Laugh Now Cry Later,” a collaboration with Drake, soon followed to global success; 2021 saw the release of the country-trap smash “Broadway Girls” featuring Morgan Wallen, and The Voice of The Heroes, a collab album with Lil Baby. His 2022 album 7220 debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Earlier this year he won a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his song “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole. The news of his arrest came shortly after he announced plans to release a new album. Deep Thoughts was due out on November 22 but has now been pushed back indefinitely.

One day prior to Lil Durk’s October 24 arrest, five men affiliated with O.T.F. were charged with a murder-for-hire plot, alleging that they conspired to “track, stalk, and attempt to kill” a rapper initially identified as T.B. Criminal charges unsealed by federal prosecutors revealed the individual as Quando Rondo (real name Tyquian Bowman).

The charges allege O.T.F. is a “hybrid organization,” part rap group and part criminal enterprise. Prosecutors say the arrested men — named as Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson (a.k.a Dede), Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston — are members of a gang that engages in murder and assault “at the direction” of Lil Durk and “to maintain their status in O.T.F.”

On November 6, 2020, O.T.F. artist and Chicago rapper King Von (real name Dayvon Bennett) was shot and killed. King Von died in Atlanta a week after releasing his third album, Welcome to O’Block. The following day an associate of Quando Rondo, Lul Tim (real name Timothy Leeks), was charged with the murder but the charges were later dropped.

Federal officials say Lil Durk ordered the hit against Quando Rondo and used O.T.F.’s resources to orchestrate the attack. Court documents allege that Durk put “a monetary bounty out for an individual with whom [he] was feuding.” Adding: “[Durk] ordered [Quando Rondo]’s murder and that the hitmen used Banks and O.T.F.-related finances to carry out the murder.” In addition to the bounty, it is alleged Durk promised the men opportunities in the music business as payment.

A credit card linked with Lil Durk and O.T.F. was used to purchase flights for the co-conspirators to travel from Chicago to California, where they believed Quando Rondo was located. The F.B.I. affidavit states that near the time the flights were purchased, a text from a telephone number prosecutors say is associated with Lil Durk was used to text the message “Don’t book no flights under no names” to an associate.

On August 19, 2022, the hitmen located Quando Rondo at a gas station close to West Hollywood, California. It is alleged that they unloaded at least 18 rounds at his vehicle. Though Quando Rondo emerged without injury, his cousin, later named as Saviay'a Robinson, was killed.

Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said that Lil Durk had orchestrated “cold-blooded murder” and that the location of the shooting meant it had endangered members of the public.

An F.B.I. affidavit also says that Lil Durk had been booked on multiple international flights that were leaving on the day of his arrest — including Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates — in an attempt to flee authorities. The FBI then allegedly learned that he was booked on a private jet to Italy and was arrested on his approach to the airport.

Yes. On November 8 the Department of Justice announced additional charges for Durk, including one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Durk has pleaded not guilty on all fronts.

On November 15 U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue ordered Durk be jailed without bond, pending a detention hearing on December 12. A tentative trial date of January 7 was also scheduled but is expected to be postponed.

If found guilty, Durk faces life in prison.

In October, the mother of another Chicago rapper, FBG Duck, filed a lawsuit accusing Lil Durk, O.T.F., and King Von of being involved in his death in 2020. Duck, whose real name was Carlton Weekly, was gunned down in Chicago by a group of masked men as he waited to enter a Dolce & Gabbana store in August of 2020. The complaint also accuses the City of Chicago of willful misconduct.