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Lil Durk is planning to enter a not-guilty plea and will battle his murder-for-hire federal charge. According to TMZ, Durk’s plans come as he is held at a Federal Detention Center in Miami.
Durk is reportedly getting along with staff and inmates at the center in Miami. The rapper is described as “super charming” and “agreeable.”
Lil Durk’s father supports his son, appearing at the rapper’s first hearing in Miami. CBS News captured Durk’s dad walking with Durk’s attorney, Alex Ubieta. Durk’s next hearing will be in the Central District of California.
Additionally, Durk’s son, Zayden Banks, released a statement on Instagram.
“I want to take a moment to stand up for my dad, Durk Banks,” the statement reads. “He has always dedicated his life to uplifting others and giving back to our community through his nonprofit organization, Neighborhood Heroes. Beyond that, he is a great father who has always supported and loved our family unconditionally.”
You can see the statement below.
Federal authorities arrested Lil Durk in Broward County, Florida. According to ABC Chicago, the rapper born Durk Banks was arrested by U.S. Marshals. He has no bond.
According to reports, Durk’s murder-for-hire was targeting Georgia rapper Quando Rondo, who was involved in an altercation with King Von in 2020 outside a lounge in Atlanta. Rondo and Von engaged in a fistfight, leading to Rondo’s affiliate, Lul Tim, shooting and killing Von. Rondo would make light of the situation and highlight the death in his music.
The arrest of the award-winning rapper comes hours after five people were arrested in Chicago and federal charged in California for being contracted to kill Rondo. In the indictment, unsealed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, was the arrest of Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston. They are charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, committing murder-for-hire involving a death, and use of a machine gun in a violent crime resulting in death. Penalties can reach as high as death if convicted.
The five arrested are associated with “Only the Family,” known in Hip-Hop as OTF. Durk leads the group, which holds Von as a member. Documents show the five were paid for their flights and rental cars with the OTF company’s credit cards. The five were apprehended in Chicago and taken to Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, where they were remanded to custody before the case moved to Los Angeles.
According to The Chicago Tribune, someone part of OTF offered money and “lucrative music opportunities” in exchange for the murder of Quando Rondo. Rondo, his sister and cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, were in an Escalade in West Hollywood in August 2022 when they were shot at, resulting in the death of Robinson.
Authorities released security footage showing the OTF affiliates attempting to do the fit. The ATF team, led by Grant, ordered a hotel room, bringing several firearms, including one that was altered to be a fully automatic machine gun. Grant also rented two cars, a white BMW and a white Infiniti, to track and murder Rondo. Footage showed the cars trailing Rondo’s Escalade and three men shooting at Rondo and his family.
After the shooting, the defendants and the OTF co-conspirator ate a hamburger restaurant and discussed patment for the shooting. Four of the shooters returned to Chicago the next day.
This arrest comes after The Dinizulu Law Group filed a civil lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court seeking to hold rapper Lil Durk, OTF, and several other music companies accountable for the fatal shooting of Chicago rapper Carlton Weekly, known as FBG Duck, on August 4, 2020. Weekly was shot outside a Gold Coast retail store, and the lawsuit also represents two bystanders who were wounded but survived the attack.
The lawsuit, announced during a news conference by Attorney Yao Dinizulu, brings multiple charges, including wrongful death, civil conspiracy, negligence, and failure to render aid. The plaintiffs seek damages not only for Weekly’s death but also for the injuries suffered by bystanders Davon Brinson and Cashae Williams. The suit names additional defendants, including Alamo Records, Sony Music Entertainment Inc., Universal Music Group Recordings Inc. (Interscope Records), and Empire Distribution Inc.
The lawsuit claims that these companies profited from the violent rivalry between OTF and FBG Duck by promoting “diss tracks” that escalated tensions. It accuses Lil Durk, the head of OTF, and other members of the group, including the late King Von, of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation and violence against FBG Duck, placing a $100,000 bounty on his life. OTF is described as a criminal enterprise that used music and social media to promote gang-related activity.
The suit also alleges misconduct by the City of Chicago, claiming police and emergency services failed to promptly aid FBG Duck, who lay alive for over 17 minutes without receiving medical attention. Dolce & Gabbana and its security firms are also named for negligence, accused of failing to take adequate safety measures.
This lawsuit follows the January conviction of six gang members in connection with FBG Duck’s death. Federal prosecutors linked the murder to a gang war fueled by social media and rap music.
A summary of the complaint can be accessed at dinizululawgroup.com.
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