Rapper Lil Durk, 32, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is set for trial on January 7, according to federal court records in Los Angeles.
The rapper was indicted on fresh charges last week, including conspiracy, firearm possession, and using firearms, including a machine gun, in a crime that resulted in death. This came shortly after his previous arrest on charges related to a murder-for-hire conspiracy.
Lil Durk was added as the primary defendant in an indictment that already included five co-defendants linked to the alleged plot. Prosecutors claim these individuals have connections to Durk’s “Only The Family” rap collective. If convicted, Durk and his co-defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
An affidavit, supported by FBI agent Sarah Corcoran’s testimony, states that Lil Durk allegedly placed a bounty on the life of rapper Quando Rondo. Flight bookings made with credit cards associated with Lil Durk and his collective were allegedly used in the plan to carry out the murder-for-hire.
The plot is believed to be in retaliation for the 2020 murder of King Von, a close associate of Lil Durk. According to the affidavit, Durk had been seeking revenge for Von’s death, which followed a confrontation between Von’s crew and Rondo’s.
Prior to his arrest, Lil Durk reportedly attempted to leave the U.S., with three flights booked to Italy, Switzerland, and Dubai. However, he did not board any of the flights.
The indictment further claims that Durk and five co-defendants—Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston—traveled to Los Angeles in 2022 with the intent to kill Quando Rondo. However, the shooting led to the death of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson (known as Lul Pab), who was a passenger in the car.
Attorneys for the five co-defendants arrested in Chicago declined to comment. The trial for Lil Durk and his co-defendants is set to proceed in the coming weeks.