Rapper Lil Durk Facing Life in Prison After Additional Charges in Murder-for-Hire Plot
by Steven J. Horowitz · VarietyAfter Lil Durk was arrested in Florida last month on charges related to murder-for-hire, the rapper is now facing two additional charges in his case that could put him behind bars for life.
The rapper, whose real name is Durk Banks, was arrested in Florida on Oct. 25 while five members of the hip-hop crew, Only the Family, were detained in California. They were all charged in connection to the murder of fellow rapper Quando Rondo’s cousin in 2022. Durk and his crew allegedly targeted Rondo’s cousin as retaliation for the murder of Big Von, who was signed to Durk’s label and was killed in 2020 by Quando associate Lul Timm.
The Department of Justice has announced additional charges for Durk, now including one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.
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Durk is currently being held without bail in Miami and will be transferred to Los Angeles for arraignment. Among those arrested in Durk’s crew include Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston. All six defendants, none of whom have entered a plea to the charges, will be arraigned in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
A representative for Durk did not respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
Durk, 32, is a key figurehead in the Chicago drill music scene, which has spawned numerous rap stars including Chief Keef, Lil Reese and G Herbo. His past five solo albums debuted in the top five on the Billboard 200, and his 2023 single “All My Life” featuring J. Cole hit No. 2 on the Hot 100. Earlier this year, that song won a Grammy for best melodic rap performance.
According to the unsealed indictment, reviewed by Variety, three OTF members — Grant (aka “Cuz” or “Vonnie”), Wilson (“DeDe”) and Houston (“Boogie”) — were charged for their involvement, as were Jones (“Flacka”) and Lindsey (“Browneyez”), members of other Chicago gangs.
In the indictment, filed on Oct. 17, the government describes how someone referred to as D.B., a “high-ranking OTF member,” got into a physical altercation with T.B. at a nightclub in Atlanta back in Nov. 2020. During the fight, one of T.B.’s associates pulled a gun and killed D.B. It can be assumed that, despite his not being named, D.B. is King Von as the date on the sheet aligns with that of his death.
Following the shooting, a person referred to as “Co-Conspirator 1” “made clear, in coded language,” that they would pay a bounty for someone to kill T.B. for his role in D.B.’s murder.
In Aug. 2022, the defendants learned T.B. was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles. All five conspirators flew to L.A. “for the purpose of murdering T.B,” and alongside “Co-Conspirator 2” allegedly used two vehicles to track down T.B., resulting in the death of S.R., or Saviay’a Robinson.
All five of Durk’s associates are being charged with conspiracy and use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire, resulting in death. They are also being charged with use, carry and discharge of firearms and machine gun, and possession of such firearms, in furtherance of a crime of violence, resulting in death.