Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, has been acquitted of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire trial held in Los Angeles. The trial concluded with a not guilty verdict, ending a case that prosecutors linked to an alleged revenge plot following the death of rapper King Von. Durk was accused of orchestrating a 2022 attack aimed at Quando Rondo, but the jury found insufficient evidence to support the allegations against him.
Prosecutors said the attack came after Von was killed in Atlanta in 2020. King Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, was shot and killed on November 6, 2020, outside Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta. Because of the earlier conflict, the government argued that Durk wanted Rondo killed.
Rondo survived the shooting, but his cousin, Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson, was killed. Von’s death later became the reason for an alleged revenge plan against Rondo, according to prosecutors. Earlier reporting noted: Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, had been accused of conspiring to kill rapper Quando Rondo in a 2022 shooting that resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson.
A jury has now acquitted Durk on all five counts. The shooting followed an altercation involving Von’s group and Quando Rondo’s group. Timothy Leeks, also known as Lul Timm, was accused of shooting Von during the fight. Von was a close friend of Lil Durk and one of the main artists connected to his Only the Family, or OTF, label. Net worth, fees, salary of Lil Durk’s lawyer after rapper’s acquittal in murder-for-hire case Lil Durk has been found not guilty of all charges in his federal murder-for-hire trial in Los Angeles, bringing an end to a closely watched case in which Brian Steel was one of the rapper’s lead defense lawyers. The jury reached its verdict after two weeks of testimony and three days of deliberations. Durk pleaded not guilty and his defense maintained that he was not responsible for organizing the shooting. He played a prominent role during the trial, including cross-examining prosecution witnesses.
Earlier reporting noted: Who is Brian Steel? Earlier reporting noted: Steel was among four lawyers representing Durk, alongside Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg and Christy O’Connor.
Lil Durk trial ends with not guilty verdict
The alleged plan moved to Los Angeles in August 2022, when Quando Rondo was there. On August 19, 2022, gunmen opened fire at Rondo’s vehicle near the Beverly Center. After closing arguments, the jury began deliberating on September 9 and continued for several days before reaching its decision. The New York Times reported before the verdict that the case centered on prosecutors’ claim that the 2022 attack was retaliation for King Von’s killing.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the defense presented Durk as a scapegoat rather than the person who planned the shooting.
Prosecutors said people linked to OTF traveled from Chicago to California as part of the operation. Rondo survived, but his cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was fatally shot. The case against Durk focused on whether he knowingly helped arrange or pay for the attack. The prosecution presented cooperating witnesses and other evidence to connect him to the alleged plan, while his lawyers argued that former associate Kavon Grant was responsible and that the government’s witnesses could not be trusted. Durk pleaded not guilty throughout the case and did not testify at trial. The five counts included allegations involving stalking and a murder-for-hire conspiracy connected to Robinson’s death . The jury ultimately found Lil Durk not guilty on all charges, giving him a complete acquittal in the federal murder-for-hire case. The verdict means prosecutors did not prove the charges against him beyond a reasonable doubt.
