Lil Durk Pleads Not Guilty to Murder-for-Hire, Trial Date Set

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After 20 days in the Miami Federal Detention Center, Lil Durk was transported to California to face a judge in court where he pleaded not guilty to murder-for-hire charges and had his trial date set.

Lil Durk Enters Plea, Trial Date Set

On Thursday (Nov. 14), Lil Durk answered to his alleged crimes during an arraignment held in Los Angeles federal court. The Chicago rapper is accused of being the mastermind to put a hit out on Quando Rondo in 2022, following the death of King Von, who was killed by Quando's friend Timothy "Lul Timm" Leeks in 2020.

During the hearing, Durk pleaded not guilty, XXL has confirmed via the United States Attorney's Office. His next court hearings were scheduled as well as his trial date. The 32-year-old rapper has a status conference on Nov. 25, followed by a detention hearing on Dec. 12. His trial date has been set for Jan. 7, 2025. United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald will preside over the case.

XXL has reached out to Lil Durk's attorney for comment.

Durk, who was arrested on Oct. 24 after attempting to leave the country on a flight, has been charged with one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, one count of conspiracy 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.

Five men are charged alongside Durk in the murder-for-hire plot: Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey and Asa Houston.

"Based on the investigation, evidence shows that Banks ordered [Quando Rondo's] murder and that the hitmen used Banks' and OTF-related finances to carry out the murder," the criminal complaint filed on Oct. 24 reads.

Four of the five suspects flew to Los Angeles using a credit card tied to Lil Durk's Only The Family record label in search of Quando Rondo in August of 2022. Durk and suspect Grant flew to the city on a private jet. On Aug. 19, 2022, Quando and his team were trailed by three of the suspects, who opened fire on Quando's car at a gas station. Quando's cousin was shot and killed while the rapper was left unharmed.