Lil Durk denies murder-for-hire charges

Chicago rapper Lil Durk pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges alleging he paid for the attempted revenge killing of rapper Quando Rondo.

Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, entered the plea at his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office. The detention hearing of the case was set for December 12, and the hearing date was set for January 7.

According to court documents, prosecutors requested that Banks be held in custody on the grounds that he poses a flight risk and poses a danger to the community.

Banks initially charged with murder-for-hire conspiracy In the criminal complaint filed on the same day, October 24 An indictment was filed accusing five people In the attack in Los Angeles in 2022, the cousin of Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman, was killed.

Banks were also blamed additional conspiracy and weapons charges In a superseding indictment filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He faces life imprisonment. Banks has been held without bail since his arrest on October 24.

According to the superseding indictment, Banks released a song targeting Bowman that “intended to commercialize” the attack on his cousin Saviay that killed Robinson.

The indictment states that Banks’ record label, Only the Family, doubled as a violent criminal organization whose members “committed murder and assault at the direction of defendant Banks and maintained their status with the OTF.”

“Banks would place bounties on people he and other OTF members (including Bowman) wanted to kill,” prosecutors said. “As part of the reward, known and unknown collaborators… will pay everyone involved in (Bowman)’s murder and/or reward individuals with lucrative music opportunities with OTF.”

Also charged are: Kavon “Cuz” or “Vonnie” Grant; Deandre “DeDe” Wilson; Keith “Flacka” Jones; David “Browneyez” Lindsey; and Asa “Boogie” Houston. All five were arrested in Chicago.

The plot to kill Bowman was conceived in retaliation for the murder of Banks’ protégé, Chicago rapper King Von. King Von, real name was Dayvon Bennett. shot and killed outside a hookah lounge in Atlanta during an altercation with Bowman and his crew on November 6, 2020.

Bennett died while he and Banks were facing charges in another 2019 shooting in Atlanta. The charges against Banks were later dismissed.

Bennett’s death came a few months after his arch-rival FBG Duck shot dead in broad daylight On the Gold Coast. Federal prosecutors alleged Bennett placed a bounty on FBG Duck, whose real name is Carlton Weekly.

Six reputed gang members were convicted of murderg in January.

Contributed by: Tom Schuba