Lil Durk Acquitted In Murder-For-Hire Case Targeting Quando Rondo

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk has been cleared of charges that he orchestrated a murder-for-hire attack against fellow rapper Quando Rondo in Los Angeles.

A federal jury in Los Angeles returned the not-guilty verdict on Friday after deliberating for three days, following a two-week trial.

Prosecutors had accused Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, of hiring a group of men to kill Rondo as revenge for the 2020 death of King Von, a close friend of the Chicago rapper and a member of his Only The Family collective.

The prosecution said several men connected to Durk travelled to Los Angeles in August 2022 and followed Rondo and members of his group.

According to the prosecution, they allegedly attacked Rondo’s vehicle near the Beverly Center shopping mall.

Rondo survived the shooting, but his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab, was killed.

Lil Durk, 33, has been held in custody since his arrest in 2024.

Although he was cleared in the murder-for-hire case, he still has another federal case pending.

Bill Essayli, first assistant US attorney, said prosecutors were disappointed by the verdict but would continue with the remaining case.

He said the government plans to present its evidence when the second trial begins on October 5.

“While we are disappointed with the jury’s decision regarding Durk Banks, AKA Lil Durk, we look forward to presenting our evidence at his second trial, scheduled for 5 October, when he will face racketeering murder and firearms charges,” said first assistant US attorney Bill Essayli in a statement.

Two of Durk’s co-defendants, Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking with a dangerous weapon and stalking resulting in death.

However, the two men were also acquitted of the murder-for-hire charge.

Several celebrities and supporters attended the court proceedings during the trial, including rappers Machine Gun Kelly and Kanye West.

Durk previously won a Grammy Award in 2024 for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his song “All My Life,” which features J. Cole.

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