Rapper Lil Durk is battling to have his federal murder-for-hire case dismissed, claiming prosecutors withheld crucial information required for a fair trial.
The Chicago native—born Durk Derrick Banks is accused of masterminding a plan to murder fellow rapper Quando Rondo in revenge for the 2020 killing of King Von, Durk's friend and collaborator.
According to The New York Post, prosecutors claim Durk relied on secret messages and promised riches or recording contracts through his Only The Family (OTF) crew to motivate the murder.
Federal officials say Durk instructed associates to fly from Chicago to Los Angeles in August 2022 to shoot him.
Quando Rondo was reportedly unhurt in the daylight shooting at a Los Angeles gas station, but cousin Saviay'a "Lul Pab" Robinson was slain in the attack.
According to AllHipHop, in their court filing, prosecutors claim that Durk organized transportation, weapons, and disguises for the purported ambush.
But his defense attorneys—lawyers Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg, Jonathan Brayman, and Christy O'Connor—believe the charges are too general to mount an effective defense.
Lawyer Findling said in court filings, "While the Indictment alleges that the co-conspirators carried out various acts 'at the direction of' Mr. Banks—flying to Los Angeles; tracking, stalking, and attempting to kill [Quando Rondo] by gunfire; and procuring the firearms and equipment used to do so—it fails to give any specifics. When, where, how, and to whom did Mr. Banks give these alleged directions? To ensure the basic fairness of this trial, the defense is entitled to know."
The defense also charges that prosecutors have not informed them of who sent the purported coded messages or what the purported code words were.
Findling further stated, "What the Indictment fails to tell us are the very things the defense is entitled to know: the 'operative facts' underlying the government's theories of Mr. Banks' guilt. There is no allegation here that Mr. Banks physically participated in the stalking and shooting at issue."
Durk's attorneys filed a motion either to dismiss the charges or to force the government to produce a detailed bill of particulars explaining its case.
AllHipHop reports that Durk continues to be in federal custody after his arrest outside Miami International Airport on October 17, 2024. The motion hearing is set for November 18, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald in Los Angeles.
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