Verdict Reached in Los Angeles Federal Court
A federal jury in Los Angeles has acquitted rapper Lil Durk on all charges in a murder-for-hire trial connected to a deadly shooting near the Beverly Center in 2022. The verdict, announced on Friday, followed three days of deliberations and brings to a close a two-week trial that centered on allegations that Durk orchestrated a plot to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo.
Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, was found not guilty on all five counts he faced: conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon, stalking resulting in death, and two counts related to murder-for-hire. His co-defendants, Deandre "OTF Dede" Wilson and David "Browneyez" Lindsey, were convicted of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon, and stalking resulting in death, but were acquitted on the murder-for-hire charges, according to reports from Billboard and Rolling Stone. Their sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
Prosecution's Case and Defense's Strategy
Prosecutors had argued that Durk organized a plan to kill Quando Rondo, born Tyquian Bowman, as revenge for the 2020 killing of his close friend and collaborator King Von, born Dayvon Bennett. According to the prosecution, Durk sent a group of shooters from Chicago to Los Angeles in August 2022. The gunmen opened fire on Bowman's vehicle outside a busy shopping center, firing at least 18 rounds. Bowman survived, but his cousin, 24-year-old Saviay'a "Lul Pab" Robinson, was fatally shot.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello, in closing arguments, said of Durk: "No one is saying he was the one on the ground with a gun in his hand in Los Angeles, but you know this story doesn't happen without him, and it doesn't make sense without his leadership." Yanniello also said Durk "used his money, his power, and his influence to try to kill his biggest opp."
The government's case relied heavily on testimony from three cooperating witnesses: Kacey "OTF Jam" Hester, Keith "Flacka" Jones, and Kavon "Vonnie" Grant, Durk's former personal assistant. All three pleaded guilty and testified that Durk planned the attack and offered cash rewards, though no payments were completed, as reported by Billboard and the Los Angeles Times.
Durk's defense team, led by attorney Brian Steel, portrayed the cooperating witnesses as unreliable "snitches, cooperators, rats" who implicated Durk to secure lighter sentences. Defense attorneys argued that Grant was actually the one who orchestrated the shooting, acting on his own to impress Durk. "[Grant] has manipulated the people in this case, he has manipulated the FBI, the LAPD, and respectfully, has been manipulating the members of the U.S. Attorney's Office," said defense attorney Drew Findling, as quoted by Variety.
Trial Details and Deliberations
The jury began deliberating on Wednesday, September 9, after closing arguments concluded the previous day. During the first day of deliberations, jurors requested digital copies of evidence admitted during the trial, which delayed their work until Thursday morning. On Thursday, after about an hour of deliberation, the jury sent a note to the judge asking for clarification on the stalking charges, including what constitutes "intent," according to HotNewHipHop, which cited court reporter Meghann Cuniff.
The jury also heard some of Durk's music during the trial, including tracks like "Ahhh Ha," which prosecutors argued referenced the Rondo plot. Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald ruled to admit some lyrics referencing Durk's state of mind after King Von's death, a decision that came amid broader debates about the use of rap lyrics as evidence, as reported by Pitchfork.
Throughout the trial, Durk maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty. He did not testify in his own defense. After the verdict was read, Durk hung his head and began crying, according to Rolling Stone. His wife, India Royale, was present in the courtroom.
Remaining Legal Challenges
Despite the acquittal, Durk will remain in federal custody. He faces a separate trial on a racketeering count, which was severed from the initial case. The federal racketeering charge, filed under the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) statute, was added by prosecutors in June 2026, according to the Hindustan Times. The trial for that charge is scheduled to begin on October 5, with expectations it could run three to four weeks.
Durk was arrested on October 24, 2024, in Broward County, Florida. He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles while awaiting trial.
The verdict means prosecutors did not prove the charges against Durk beyond a reasonable doubt, a standard the jury applied to all five counts. The outcome has drawn significant attention, with spectators and content creators gathering outside the courthouse throughout the proceedings.