Durk Banks, known professionally as “Lil Durk”, a Grammy-winning rapper from Chicago, has been charged in a superseding federal indictment for his alleged involvement in a murder-for-hire conspiracy. The charges stem from an August 2022 shooting in Los Angeles, where a rival rapper’s family member was killed at a gas station near the Beverly Center shopping mall. Banks, aged 32, is facing multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, using interstate facilities for murder-for-hire resulting in death, and using firearms in furtherance of a violent crime. These charges expand on an earlier criminal complaint and involve several co-defendants.
The indictment includes Banks as the lead defendant, alongside five others—Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston—who are also charged in connection with the murder. Banks was arrested in October 2023 near Miami International Airport while attempting to flee the country. He is currently being held without bond and is set to be transferred to Los Angeles for arraignment.
Banks is accused of orchestrating the murder of a rival, identified in court documents as “T.B.,” following the 2020 murder of Banks’ close friend and fellow rapper, King Von, who was killed by an associate of T.B. In retaliation, Banks allegedly placed a bounty on T.B.’s life. On August 19, 2022, several members of Banks’ organization, Only the Family (OTF), tracked and stalked T.B. for hours, leading to a violent shooting at the gas station. The co-conspirators fired at least 18 rounds at T.B.’s vehicle, but instead of killing T.B., they fatally struck his family member, referred to as “S.R.” in the indictment.
The indictment details that Banks funded the operation, with OTF finances being used to cover the costs of the hit. Evidence from flight and bank records suggests that an OTF associate booked and paid for flights for the five co-conspirators to travel from Chicago to California the day before the murder. On the same day, Banks flew to California in a private jet with one of the co-conspirators, Grant, who is alleged to have bought ski masks for the shooters and arranged the group’s accommodation. The prosecution claims that the murder was premeditated and carried out with the intention of eliminating T.B., but it resulted in the unintended death of his relative.
The case, which involves multiple states and complex coordination, highlights the alleged use of OTF as an organization that engaged in violent activities, including murder, under Banks’ direction. The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department conducted extensive investigations, including surveillance, search warrants, and forensic analysis, leading to the identification of Banks and his associates. Authorities have stressed the seriousness of the charges, with the potential for life sentences if convicted.
The defendants are set to be arraigned in Los Angeles federal court. The investigation and prosecution are ongoing, with the Justice Department, FBI, and LAPD continuing their efforts.
Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, though the charges carry severe penalties.
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