Rapper Lil Durk to be arraigned today in California on murder-for-hire charges

Chicago rapper Lil Durk, real name Durk Davontay Banks, is set to appear in a Los Angeles federal courtroom for arraignment on murder-for-hire charges, three weeks after his dramatic arrest in Miami while allegedly attempting to flee the U.S.

Banks, 32, has been accused of hiring five associates from his rap group “Only the Family” (OTF) to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo, resulting in the death of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, in a shooting in West Hollywood in August 2022.

The federal indictment claims that Banks paid his associates and offered “lucrative music opportunities” to orchestrate the attack on Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Terrel Bowman. According to the charges, Rondo, his sister, and Robinson were in a Cadillac Escalade when gunmen opened fire. 

While Rondo and his sister escaped unharmed, Robinson was struck multiple times and killed. The indictment further alleges Banks capitalized on the incident by incorporating news footage of Rondo’s reaction to his cousin’s death into a song, which prosecutors argue was meant to “commercialize” Robinson’s death.

Banks was apprehended on October 24 as he prepared to board a private jet to Italy after booking three international flights. He has been held without bond in Florida and was recently transferred to Los Angeles for his scheduled court appearance. Prosecutors are pushing for Banks to remain detained, arguing that he poses a flight risk and a threat to public safety.

The charges against Banks are part of an ongoing investigation into violent feuds within the drill rap community, which spans Chicago and both U.S. coasts. Banks and his associates were originally charged last month in connection with a conspiracy to avenge the 2020 murder of fellow Chicago rapper and close friend King Von, born Dayvon Bennett. King Von was killed in Atlanta, and his death has fueled long-standing rivalries among various rap groups, including OTF and others.

The federal indictment names Banks’s five alleged co-conspirators: Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston. They were arrested in the Chicago area hours before Banks was detained in Miami and are all being held without bond.

Among the charges, Banks faces counts of conspiracy, using interstate facilities for murder-for-hire, and firearm possession in connection with a crime of violence. The most severe charges carry a mandatory life sentence if he is convicted. The U.S. attorney’s office highlights the seriousness of the case, as OTF, which Banks founded over a decade ago, has been associated with multiple violent incidents within the drill music scene, leading to accusations of operating as a criminal enterprise.

Banks's arraignment is scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Los Angeles, where he is expected to plead and possibly seek a bond release, though prosecutors remain steadfast in opposing his release pending trial.