Lil Durk Pleads Not Guilty to Alleged Murder-For-Hire Plot

Lil Durk has pleaded not guilty to murder-for-hire charges during a court appearance in Los Angeles.

The charges stem from an alleged plot to kill Georgia-based rapper Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Terrel Bowman. The accusations are tied to suspicions that Bowman was involved in the 2020 murder of Chicago rapper King Von (Dayvon Daquan Bennett) in Atlanta.

Lil Durk, real name Durk Devontay Banks, 32, was taken into custody on October 24 in Miami. He faces several serious charges, including conspiracy, use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and using, carrying, and discharging firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence.

A recent indictment from a federal grand jury named Banks as the lead defendant, alongside five others accused of carrying out the murder plot. The co-defendants—Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston—are all alleged to have ties to the Only the Family (OTF) collective, which is founded by Banks. Prosecutors claim that OTF not only produced and promoted music but also engaged in violent activities, including murder and assault, under Banks’ direction to maintain their status and influence.

According to the indictment, Banks allegedly placed a bounty on Bowman and paid the five co-defendants with money and music-related opportunities. Prosecutors assert that members of OTF coordinated Bowman’s location and travel arrangements before the intended attack in Los Angeles in August 2022.

Court documents further allege that on the day the hitmen traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles, Banks and co-defendant Grant also flew to the city on a private jet. Grant is accused of purchasing ski masks and hotel accommodations for the hitmen using Banks’ credit card. The plot reportedly culminated at a gas station, where Bowman was tracked and targeted while traveling with family members. Although Bowman and his sister were unharmed, his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, aka Lul Pab, tragically lost his life.

Banks remains in federal custody in California, and prosecutors argue that he poses both a flight risk and a danger to the community. The five other co-defendants are currently in federal custody in Illinois. If convicted, all six individuals face maximum life sentences in federal prison.