Chicago rapper Lil Durk arrested in Broward County, Florida on murder-for-hire charges

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said Chicago-born rapper Lil Durk has been arrested in South Florida in connection with a murder-for-hire case.

Records show that Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Banks is accused of being the leader of a Chicago rap collective – Only the Family – that operates as a group of individuals who commit violence, including murder and assault, at Banks’ direction, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The complaint says he is accused of offering a “monetary reward to an individual with whom Banks had a dispute.”

The complaint states that on August 19, 2022, multiple OTF members allegedly used two vehicles and worked together to “follow, stalk, and attempt to murder a TB at a gas station in Los Angeles.”

“The co-conspirators fired at least 18 rounds into TB’s vehicle, striking and killing SR, a TB family member who was traveling with tuberculosis,” the complaint stated.

The charges are related to an attempted revenge against rapper Quando Rondo in 2022 at a gas station in Los Angeles and the shooting that resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin.

Banks is charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire in the death of 24-year-old Saviay Robinson, who was shot and killed on Aug. 19, 2022, according to an FBI statement released Friday.

The complaint says Banks is one of five co-conspirators charged in the incident with crimes including murder, murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire resulting in death.

A federal complaint says five people were allegedly paid to travel from Chicago to Los Angeles to commit murder. All five people were arrested and search warrants were executed at locations associated with OTF members.

Court documents that have been filed indicate that there could be at least two more arrests.

According to an affidavit from FBI agent Sarah Corcoran and other federal court records, the shooting stems from the November 2020 killing of 26-year-old OTF rapper King Von at an Atlanta nightclub after Von and Rondo got into a fight. Records show that Rondo’s friend pulled out a gun and shot Von several times, killing him. Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, had two hit singles: Crazy Story and “Took Her to the O.”

Authorities say Banks indicated he would “pay a bounty” to anyone who killed Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman.

Nearly two years later, a murder plot quickly emerged, Corcoran wrote.

On August 18, 2022, Banks’ associates learned that Rondo was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles. Corcoran said that on that day, Deandre Wilson, Keith Jones, David Lindsey, Asa Houston and a fifth unnamed suspect flew from Chicago to San Diego and then drove to Los Angeles using funds provided by Banks.

That day, Banks allegedly texted a flight arranging associate: “Do not book any flights under a name that is not associated with me.” Corcoran said there was video evidence that Banks was at a home in the San Fernando Valley that day.

Upon arrival in Los Angeles, OTF members met Kayon Grant, who had flown there by private jet. Court records show Grant, a top OTF associate, arranged hotel rooms for the men, bought them four ski masks and two luxury sedans. Grant allegedly gave Jones, Lindsey and a third unnamed suspect weapons, including one converted to a fully automatic machine gun.

The next day, the group allegedly followed Rondo and Robinson as they drove in a Cadillac Escalade to a marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, a clothing store in West Hollywood, and then to a gas station across the street from the Beverly Center.

There, Houston parked his car behind the station so that Jones, Lindsey and the unnamed defendant could attack Rondo. They got out and opened fire, killing Robinson, who was standing in front of the Escalade, but missing Rondo, according to the indictment and news reports of the shooting.

The suspects then went to an In-N-Out hamburger stand, where they discussed payment with Grant, and then flew home to Chicago from San Diego, according to the Corcoran and other documents. Wilson later allegedly paid Jones and Lindsey an undisclosed amount.

Grant, Jones. Lindsey, Wilson and Houston were arrested Thursday in Chicago in connection with conspiracy to commit murder for hire. No attorney information for the men was immediately available in court records.

Corcoran wrote that after their arrests, Banks booked two flights from airports in South Florida – one to Dubai and one to Switzerland. He then booked a private flight to Italy, but before he could board that flight, he was arrested in Miami.

Banks made his first appearance Friday afternoon at the C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse in Miami. Banks’ lawyer, Alek Ubieta, asked for privacy after leaving court, telling Miami ABC affiliate WPLG: “We will have no comment at this time.”

ABC News also contacted Ubieta.

The Banks family was also seen leaving court Friday.

“When the other defendants were charged, we knew it was a conspiracy involving multiple players, but the fact that they are now being charged in such close proximity to the other charges suggests that it is linked to them and the conspiracy is even broader than that. originally presented,” said legal analyst Gil Soffer.

As prosecutors continue their case, OTF members will likely be used to try to secure a conviction.

“They will certainly want to convince someone who is involved in the conspiracy and use this testimony against other defendants. Maybe there’s a wiretapping here. Secret reports may be coming out. All of these elements will be gathered to build a case against the defendants, Soffer said.

Banks’ arrest comes just weeks after his name appeared in a lawsuit alleging the rapper had a hand in the gang-related fatal 2020 shooting of Chicago rapper FBG Duck, born Carlton Weekly.

Duck was killed in the Gold Coast district by a group of masked men as he waited to enter a high-end store.

Six alleged gang members were convicted of Weekly’s murder.

After filing the lawsuit, Weekly’s mother spoke with ABC7’s Karen Jordan.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him and the life that was taken from him.” – LaSheena Weekly, mother of FBG Duck, told us.

Lil Durk and his team have not commented on the lawsuit.

The village of Broadview, Illinois, withdrew the key to the city from Lil Durk on Friday.

“While the American justice system affords everyone the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law, in the Village of Broadview, the court of public opinion among residents is held to even higher standards of moral and ethical conduct. Our public partners must also reflect the same uncompromising standards that our residents demand. Given the news that Durk “Lil Durk” Banks has been arrested in Florida and charged with murder for hire, the Village of Broadview is withdrawing our honorary “key to the village” awarded to Durk. and is terminating our partnership with its youth organization, the Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, protecting Broadview’s interests and upholding the values of its residents is the mayor’s most important job,” Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said in a statement.

The 32-year-old Chicago rapper won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap earlier this year for “All My Life” featuring J. Cole. His albums “The Voice” released in 2020 and “7220” released in 2022 both went platinum. His latest album was scheduled to be released next month.

Lil Durk is one of the most popular drill rap artists in the industry. It is a controversial subgenre of hip-hop that originated in Chicago and was popularized by rappers such as Durk and Chief Keef, Fredo Santana and G Herbo. He is known for his often violent lyrics and ties to Chicago gang culture.

If convicted of these crimes, Banks could face life in prison.

“The sentence is really harsh… it could even mean the death penalty if there are sufficient aggravating circumstances,” Soffer said.

The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.