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Lil Durk has entered a plea in his alleged murder-for-hire case.
On Thursday, November 14, the Chicago native appeared at a federal courtroom in Los Angeles for his arraignment. He's facing felony charges in connection to a shooting that allegedly targeted rapper Quando Rondo. Prosecutors argued that Durk conspired with five others to kill Rondo, born Tyquian Bowman, in retaliation for the death of Durk's best friend King Von, who was shot by Bowman's associate Timothy "Lul Timm" Leeks. During the hearing, Durk pleaded not guilty and will go to trial in January 2025.
Lil Durk, born Durk Banks, was arrested in South Florida last month while he was allegedly attempting to flee the country. According to the U.S. District Attorney’s office, Durk had booked three international flights booked to Italy, Switzerland and Dubai, but he didn't fly out to any of those locations at all. He was held in federal custody in Miami until he was transported to Los Angeles last week.
Durk is charged with one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Federal investigators testified that Durk previously put a bounty on Bowman's head following the death of King Von. The "All My Life" rapper allegedly worked with five members of his Only The Family crew to murder Bowman in 2022.
Kavon London Grant a.k.a "Vonnie," Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston carried out the shooting, however, they missed and killed Bowman's cousin Saviay'a Robinson a.k.a. Lul Pab instead. The five codefendants are in federal custody in Illinois. They were charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Jones was also charged with an additional count of possession of a machine gun.
Lil Durk will attend a status conference on November 25 followed by a detention hearing on December 12. His trial date is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025. If convicted, Durk and his codefendants face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.