Grammy-winning rapper Durk Devontay Banks, popularly known as Lil Durk, has been acquitted of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire case linked to a 2022 shooting in Los Angeles that claimed the life of the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo.
A Los Angeles jury found Lil Durk not guilty of all five federal felony charges after three days of deliberations.
Prosecutors had accused the rapper of orchestrating a revenge plot targeting Tyquian Bowman, an Atlanta-based rapper professionally known as Quando Rondo, following the 2020 killing of Durk’s close friend, Dayvon “King Von” Bennett.
According to federal prosecutors, Lil Durk allegedly planned, ordered and financed the operation targeting Bowman. However, the alleged plot instead resulted in the death of Bowman’s 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, who was shot during a daytime ambush in Los Angeles on August 19, 2022.
Lil Durk’s defence team denied that he was involved in the alleged scheme. His lawyers argued that his former personal assistant, Kavon Grant, was responsible for arranging the intended attack.
The rapper was arrested in 2024 and pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, stalking using a dangerous weapon, stalking resulting in death and two murder-for-hire-related counts.
His co-defendants, Deandre Dontrell Wilson and David Brian Lindsey, were found guilty of stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking but were acquitted of the other charges.
Following the verdict, supporters gathered outside the Los Angeles courthouse and celebrated the rapper’s acquittal.
Defence lawyer Drew Findling said Banks was “thankful” following the jury’s decision.
Lil Durk, 33, has established himself as one of the leading figures in contemporary hip-hop, with seven albums reaching the top five of the US Billboard chart since 2019. He has also collaborated with major artists, including Drake and J. Cole, on successful singles.
Despite being cleared in the murder-for-hire case, Banks remains in custody as he awaits a separate federal trial scheduled for next month. The second case involves racketeering, murder and firearms charges.
If convicted on all charges in the separate case, the rapper could face a sentence of life imprisonment.
