In a verdict that has sent waves through the global hip-hop community, 33-year-old Chicago rapper and Grammy winner Lil Durk, legally named Durk Devontay Banks, has been cleared of all criminal charges stemming from a high-profile federal murder-for-hire conspiracy case. The ruling came down Friday after three full days of deliberations by a Los Angeles jury, wrapping up a three-week court proceeding that drew widespread attention from music fans and legal observers alike.
The case traced its origins back to a fatal daytime shooting in August 2020 outside an Atlanta nightclub that left rising Chicago rapper King Von — a signee to Banks’ Only The Family (OTF) record label — dead. Prosecutors alleged that Banks, who founded OTF in 2010, put a public bounty on the head of rival rapper Quando Rondo (legal name Tyquian Bowman) in retaliation for King Von’s killing, after coming under social media pressure to avenge his associate’s death.
The alleged plot unfolded in August 2022, when a vehicle carrying Bowman was ambushed in a shooting at a Los Angeles gas station. Bowman escaped the attack uninjured, but his 23-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, who was a passenger in the car, was killed. Banks was arrested in connection to the killing in 2024, charged with five felony counts including murder-for-hire resulting in death and criminal conspiracy. A conviction would have carried a mandatory potential life sentence.
The prosecution’s case rested entirely on testimony from three cooperating co-defendants — Kavon “OTF Vonnie” Grant, Keith “Flacka” Jones, and Kacey “OTF Jam” Hester — all of whom had struck plea deals in exchange for their testimony against Banks and two additional co-defendants tried alongside him: Deandre “OTF Dede” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey. In a split verdict, the jury cleared both Wilson and Lindsey of murder-for-hire charges, but convicted them on lesser counts of stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking.
Following the acquittal, defense attorney Drew Findling shared that his client was deeply grateful for the jury’s decision. Outside the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, crowds of Banks’ supporters erupted in cheers when the verdict was announced.
Despite the full acquittal on these charges, Banks will remain in federal custody as he prepares for a separate scheduled trial set to begin October 5. In that upcoming case, he faces additional charges including racketeering-linked murder and firearms violations. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli noted in a post-verdict statement that while the prosecution team was disappointed by the jury’s ruling in the murder-for-hire case, they are moving forward with plans to present their full evidence in the second trial.
Beyond the legal drama, Banks holds a prominent position in modern mainstream hip-hop. Since 2019, seven of his studio albums have cracked the top 5 of the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, and he has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Drake and J. Cole. Most recently, he took home the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his hit single “All My Life” featuring J. Cole, marking his first Grammy win after three prior nomination.