Monday, September 14, 2026 - Grammy-winning rapper Durk Devontay Banks, popularly known as Lil Durk, has been acquitted of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire case over a 2022 shooting in Los Angeles that left the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo dead.
A Los Angeles jury found the rapper not guilty of all five
federal felony counts after three days of deliberations.
Lil Durk was accused of orchestrating a revenge plot
targeting Tyquian Bowman, an Atlanta rapper known professionally as Quando
Rondo, following the 2020 killing of Banks’ close friend, Dayvon “King Von”
Bennett.
Federal prosecutors alleged that he planned, ordered and
financed the operation to kill Bowman.
However, the alleged plot resulted in the death of Bowman’s
cousin, 24-year-old Saviay’a Robinson, who was shot during a daytime ambush on
August 19, 2022, in Los Angeles.
Durk’s defence team maintained that he had no involvement in
the alleged scheme. His lawyers argued that his former personal assistant,
Kavon Grant, was responsible for setting up the intended killing.
He 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 convicted of stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking but were
acquitted of the other charges.
Following the verdict, supporters cheered outside the Los
Angeles courthouse.
Defence lawyer Drew Findling said Banks was “thankful”
following the acquittal.
The 33-year-old rapper has had seven albums reach the top
five of the US Billboard chart since 2019 and has collaborated with artists
including Drake and J. Cole on hit singles.
Despite Friday’s acquittal, Banks remains in custody
pending a separate federal trial scheduled for next month over racketeering,
murder and firearms charges.
If convicted on all the charges in the second case, he could
face life imprisonment.
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