Rapper Lil Durk Acquitted On Murder Charges But Remains In Federal Custody On Federal Gun Charges Related To Atlanta “Varsity” Shooting: Trial Date Set For October

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk was acquitted of all charges Friday in a high-profile federal murder-for-hire trial, but he remains in federal custody to face a separate trial next month for racketeering and firearms offenses that include a violent 2019 shootout in Atlanta.

A federal jury in Los Angeles cleared the 33-year-old Chicago artist, whose legal name is Durk Banks, of five felony counts, including conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death. Prosecutors had alleged that Banks bankrolled a 2022 ambush in Los Angeles targeting rival rapper Quando Rondo in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Banks’ close friend and protégé, King Von. The shooting instead claimed the life of Rondo’s 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson.

Defense Secures Verdict After Three-Day Deliberation

The verdict followed a dramatic multi-week trial. Federal prosecutors argued that Banks used his Only the Family (OTF) rap collective as a front for a violent street gang, leveraging his wealth to fund the hit squad. They presented evidence of flights and rental cars booked using a credit card associated with Banks.

However, defense attorney Drew Findling and his team successfully distanced the Hip-Hop star from the plot. The defense argued that Banks’ former personal assistant orchestrated the travel arrangements and ordered the hit independently. After three days of deliberations, the jury agreed, finding Banks not guilty on all counts. Two co-defendants tried alongside him were also cleared of murder-for-hire but were convicted on related stalking charges.

A Second Federal Battle Over Guns and Gangs

Despite the major courtroom victory, Banks will not be released from custody. The presiding judge had previously severed the massive indictment, dividing the government’s allegations into two separate trials.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed that Banks is scheduled to return to court on October 5, 2026. In that proceeding, he faces federal charges under the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity (VICAR) statute, including using, carrying, and possessing fully automatic firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence. Prosecutors allege the gang utilized Glock handguns modified with “switches” to convert them into illegal machine guns.

The 2019 Atlanta Incident Revived

Unlike the Los Angeles trial, the upcoming racketeering and weapons case stems from entirely separate incidents, chief among them a notorious 2019 shooting outside The Varsity drive-in restaurant in downtown Atlanta.

In that incident, federal prosecutors allege that Lil Durk and King Von personally fired weapons at a 23 years old man during an OTF-led robbery over a stolen vehicle.

Police detectives said surveillance video from local businesses showed Lil Durk firing a gun from a vehicle during the incident.

Lil Durk turned himself in to Atlanta police in May 2019 after learning a warrant had been issued for his arrest, and a Fulton county judge later granted him a $250,000 bond with strict conditions like an ankle monitor and curfew.

Durk would go on to record a video and hit song over his surrender to Atlanta police: “Turn Myself In” has amassed more than 15 million views on WorldStarHipHop alone since its release 7 years ago.

While Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis dropped the state-level attempted murder charges in 2022 due to conflicting self-defense claims, federal prosecutors are reviving the shooting as a “predicate act.” The government intends to use the incident not as an isolated street fight, but as proof of a long-standing pattern of firearm violence used to enforce the OTF enterprise.

Banks remains held without bond. If convicted on the remaining racketeering and firearms charges next month, the Grammy-winner still faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.