Key Takeaways
- A Los Angeles federal jury acquitted Lil Durk, born Durk Banks, on all five counts tied to the fatal 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center, including conspiracy to commit stalking and murder-for-hire.
- Prosecutors had argued Banks sought revenge for King Von's 2020 killing by directing OTF members to target rival rapper Quando Rondo, but gunmen instead killed 24-year-old Saviay'a Robinson at a gas station on August 19, 2022.
- Co-defendants Deandre "OTF DeDe" Wilson and David "Browneyez" Lindsey were acquitted of murder-for-hire but convicted of stalking resulting in death, a charge carrying a maximum of life in prison.
- Lil Durk remains in custody ahead of a separate federal racketeering trial set to begin October 5, where he will face racketeering murder and firearms charges.
Lil Durk was taken back into custody after beating his murder-for-hire case this week, and he'll now stand trial on separate racketeering charges.
On Friday (September 11), the rapper (real name Durk Banks), was found not guilty on all five counts: conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon, stalking resulting in death, and two murder-for-hire charges. Jurors had begun deliberating Wednesday (September 9) and returned the verdict two days later.
However, Durk remains held in preparation for his federal racketeering case, which his lawyers severed from this trial after prosecutors filed a third superseding indictment in June adding Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering counts.
The trial is set to begin October 5 at the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.
Prosecutors in the rapper's murder-for-hire trial argued whether the 34-year-old sought revenge after the 2020 killing of his close friend and protégé King Von by ordering members of Only the Family (OTF) to kill rival Quando Rondo. The gunmen instead killed Rondo's 24-year-old cousin Saviay'a Robinson, aka Lul Pab, at a gas station near the Beverly Center on August 19, 2022.
The government examined GPS records, text messages, flight purchases charged to Durk's credit card, along with interviews and rap lyrics that referenced "sliding for Von." Three cooperating witnesses testified: Kayvon "OTF Vonnie" Grant, Keith "Flacka" Jones and Kacey "OTF Jam" Hester.
"Twenty-two months ago, Durk and I made an agreement that we would make history with the greatest verdict in this country, and it happened today," defense lawyer Drew Findling stated. "Durk is not guilty of all charges... The shackles must come off, and he must walk free."
Co-defendants Deandre "OTF DeDe" Wilson and David "Browneyez" Lindsey were acquitted of murder-for-hire but convicted of stalking resulting in death, a count that carries a maximum of life in prison.
