— Chicago rapper Lil Durk has been acquitted of all charges in the closely watched federal murder-for-hire case that accused him of helping organize a 2022 attack targeting fellow rapper Quando Rondo.
A Los Angeles federal jury returned the verdict Friday after three days of deliberations. Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, was found not guilty on every count he faced in this trial, including conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder-for-hire allegations.
Federal prosecutors had accused Durk of financing and directing a plan to kill Quando Rondo, whose legal name is Tyquian Bowman. Authorities argued that the alleged plot was retaliation connected to the 2020 death of Durk’s close friend and fellow rapper King Von, who was killed during an altercation involving members of Rondo’s entourage in Atlanta.
The case centered on an August 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. Rondo survived the attack, but his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab, was fatally shot. Prosecutors alleged that a group traveled to Los Angeles, followed Rondo and his associates and eventually opened fire on their vehicle.
Durk’s defense maintained throughout the trial that the rapper was not responsible for organizing the shooting. His attorneys challenged the government’s evidence and questioned the credibility of cooperating witnesses used to connect him to the alleged plot. The jury ultimately declined to convict Durk on any of the charges presented in this trial.
Two men tried alongside Durk, Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey, received different verdicts. Both were convicted on stalking-related charges, including stalking resulting in death, but were acquitted of the murder-for-hire allegations.
Despite the acquittal, Durk has not been released from federal custody. ABC7 reports that he is scheduled to face a separate federal trial next month involving severed racketeering murder and firearms charges.
The verdict marks a major development for the Grammy-winning artist, who had faced the possibility of life in federal prison if convicted on all counts in the murder-for-hire case. Supporters gathered outside the downtown Los Angeles courthouse and celebrated after learning of his acquittal.
(Prince Williams/Wireimage)
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