- A federal jury has found rapper Lil Durk not guilty of charges linked to an alleged plot targeting Quando Rondo.
- The 2022 shooting in Los Angeles killed Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab.
- Lil Durk’s co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey were convicted on stalking-related charges but acquitted of murder for hire.
- Durk remains in custody as he awaits a separate trial on a racketeering charge.
Rapper Lil Durk has been cleared of federal charges stemming from a 2022 shooting targeting fellow rapper Quando Rondo in Los Angeles. A federal jury reached its verdict on Friday after deliberating for three days following a two-week trial.
The 33-year-old Chicago artist, whose legal name is Durk Banks, was acquitted of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder for hire. Prosecutors had accused him of arranging an attack against Rondo, but the jury did not find him guilty on the charges presented in the case.
The shooting occurred at a Los Angeles gas station and left Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, dead. Rondo survived the attack.
While Durk was acquitted, the jury reached different conclusions regarding his co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey. The two men were found guilty of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon and stalking resulting in death.
Both Wilson and Lindsey were, however, acquitted of murder for hire. Wilson’s lawyer Craig Harbaugh welcomed that part of the verdict and said his legal team was confident the remaining convictions would not withstand a pending motion for acquittal.
Attorneys representing Durk and Lindsey had not immediately responded to requests for comment following the verdict.
Prosecutors Linked Attack to King Von’s Death
The prosecution’s case centred on the relationship between Durk and the late rapper King Von. Prosecutors alleged that Durk arranged the attack on Rondo after a member of Rondo’s entourage fatally shot King Von outside an Atlanta nightclub in 2020.
King Von was a close friend of Durk and a member of his Only The Family music collective. Prosecutors alleged that the killing created a motive for Durk to seek retaliation against Rondo.
According to the prosecution’s account, several men travelled to Los Angeles in August 2022 with money allegedly supplied by Durk. The group was accused of tracking Rondo and his associates before gunmen opened fire on his SUV near the Beverly Center shopping mall.
Rondo survived, but his 24-year-old cousin Robinson, who was known as Lul Pab, was killed.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said prosecutors accepted the jury’s decision while maintaining that they believed the evidence supported their case against Durk.
“Today, the jury delivered justice to the family of Saviay’a Robinson, finding defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey guilty of stalking resulting in Mr. Robinson’s death,” Essayli said in a statement.
He added that prosecutors were disappointed by the verdict involving Durk Banks but said they would present their evidence again during his upcoming trial.
Durk was not released following Friday’s verdict. He has remained in custody since his arrest in 2024 and is still facing a separate racketeering case that was removed from the current trial.
The acquittal comes as Durk continues to face legal proceedings while maintaining a prominent position in American hip-hop. He won a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life”, his collaboration with J. Cole.
The song was released in 2023 and became one of the biggest hits of his career. Durk has also received three other Grammy nominations and appeared alongside Drake on “Laugh Now Cry Later.”
Several high-profile music figures, including Machine Gun Kelly and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, attended proceedings during the trial. Large groups of fans, livestreamers and online content creators also gathered outside the Los Angeles courthouse as the case attracted widespread attention.
