Rapper Lil Durk arrested in Florida on murder-for-hire charges

Rapper Lil Durk was arrested Thursday in Florida by U.S. Marshals on murder-for-hire charges, according to booking records.

The 32-year-old Chicago artist, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, was booked into the Broward County Jail and is being held without bail.

NBC News is reaching out to U.S. Marshals and Lil Durk’s representatives for comment.

This comes as five people associated with his hip-hop collective “Only the Family” were arrested in California on a federal indictment on charges of committing a murder-for-hire that resulted in death and was allegedly committed in revenge for the death of a friend. group member.

Three alleged OTF members — Kavon London Grant, known as “Cuz” or “Vonnie”; Deandre Dontrell Wilson, known as “DeDe”; Asa Houston, known as “Boogie,” was indicted by a grand jury for her alleged involvement in the murder, according to court documents filed Oct. 17 and unsealed Thursday.

Keith Jones, aka “Flacka,” and David Brian Lindsey, aka “Broweyez,” both alleged to be members of other Chicago gangs, documents show, were also indicted.

The five men could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

OTF produces and sells hip-hop music by artists primarily from Chicago. Lil Durk is reportedly the founder of the collective Chicago Tribuneand has a 2018 album of the same title.

The charging document states that on November 6, 2020, a high-ranking OTF member, identified by the initials “DB,” engaged in a physical altercation with an individual identified only as “TB” at a nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia. Prosecutors say that during that fight, TB’s associate pulled out a gun and shot DB multiple times, killing him.

Although the victim was not named in the indictment, on the same day in 2020 NBC News reported on the death of Dayvon Daquan Bennett, an Atlanta rapper performing under the name “King Von” who was part of OTF and collaborated on music with Lil Durk.

After DB’s death, a person described as “Co-conspirator 1” “explained in coded language” that he would “pay a monetary reward” to “anyone who participated in the killing of TB for his role in DB’s murder,” the indictment says.

Then in August. The filing stated that on December 18, 2022, “the conspirators learned that TB was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles.”

Upon learning of TB’s location, Wilson, Jones, Lindsey, and Houston and an individual described as “co-conspirator 2” traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles “with the intention of murdering TB.” That day, Grant also flew from Florida to Los Angeles on a private jet, according to the indictment, Angeles.

On August 19, 2022, Grant, Wilson, Jones, Lindsey and Houston and Co-Conspirator 2 used two vehicles to “track, stalk and attempt to kill TB with gunfire – including the use of fully automatic firearms – which resulted in death of SR”, who was a passenger in the TB vehicle.

The indictment states that Grant, Wilson Jones Lindsey, and Houston and Co-Conspirator 2 were being followed that day. TB’s black Escalade to a gas station on Beverly Boulevard, and Houston drove her vehicle into an alley behind the gas station and parked so that “Jones, Lindsey, and Co-Conspirator2 could attempt to murder TB.”

Jones, Lindsey and Co-Conspirator 2 allegedly fired multiple shots at TB, but ended up killing SR, and Wilson paid the reward money on behalf of the co-conspirators, the document states.

Charging documents say the five and co-conspirators used “means of interstate and foreign commerce” such as airplanes, automobiles, cell phones and the Internet “with the intent to commit tuberculosis murder.”

The indictment says Grant allegedly purchased cars, ski masks and firearms that were used to detect, track and kill tuberculosis.

The indictment for the five men includes charges of conspiracy and use of interstate facilities to commit murder for hire resulting in death, using and discharging a firearm and a machine gun, possessing such a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death, possession of a machine gun and criminal forfeiture .

It was not immediately clear whether the men had retained lawyers.

This story first appeared NBCNews.com.