Chicago rapper Lil Durk has been arrested in Broward County, Florida on charges of murder-for-hire

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago-born rapper Lil Durk has been arrested in South Florida in connection with a murder-for-hire, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, is being held by the U.S. Marshals Service, records show.

Banks is accused of being the leader of a Chicago-based rap collective — called Only the Family — that acts as a group of individuals who engage in violence, including murder and assault, at Banks’ direction, a federal prosecutor said. complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

He is accused of providing a “monetary reward to an individual with whom Banks had an altercation,” according to the complaint.

On August 19, 2022, multiple OTF members allegedly used two vehicles and worked together to “track, stalk and attempt to kill TB at a Los Angeles gas station,” according to the complaint.

“The co-conspirators fired at least 18 rounds at TB’s vehicle, striking and killing SR—TB’s family member, who was traveling with TB,” the complaint said.

The charges are related to the 2022 attempted revenge killing of rapper Quando Rondo at a Los Angeles gas station, a shooting that resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin.

Banks is charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in the killing of 24-year-old Saviay’a Robinson, who was shot on Aug. 19, 2022, according to an FBI affidavit released Friday.

Banks is one of five co-conspirators charged in the incident with crimes including murder, murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire resulting in death, the indictment said.

Five people were allegedly paid to travel from Chicago to Los Angeles to commit the murder, the federal complaint said. All five people have been arrested and search warrants have been executed at locations associated with the OTF members.

At least two more arrests could follow, according to court documents filed.

According to FBI Agent Sarah Corcoran’s affidavit and other federal court documents, the shooting stems from the November 2020 killing of OTF rapper King Von, 26, at an Atlanta nightclub after Von and Rondo got into an argument. Records show that a friend of Rondo pulled a gun and shot Von several times, killing him. Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, had two hit singles, Crazy Story and “Took Her to the O.”

Authorities say Banks revealed he would “pay a bounty” to anyone who killed Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman.

Nearly two years later, a murder plot quickly emerged, Corcoran wrote.

On August 18, 2022, Banks’ associates learned that Rondo was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles. That day, Deandre Wilson, Keith Jones, David Lindsey, Asa Houston and a fifth unnamed suspect flew from Chicago to San Diego and then drove to Los Angeles using money from Banks, Corcoran said.

That day, Banks allegedly texted an employee who arranged the flights: “Do not book flights without a name associated with me.” Corcoran said there is video evidence that Banks was staying at a home in the San Fernando Valley that day.

Once they arrived in Los Angeles, the OTF members met Kayon Grant, who had flown there on a private jet. Grant, a top OTF employee, arranged hotel rooms for the men, bought them four ski masks and purchased two luxury sedans, court records show. Grant allegedly gave Jones, Lindsey and a third unnamed suspect weapons, including a weapon converted into a fully automatic machine gun.

The next day, the group allegedly followed Rondo and Robinson as they drove in a Cadillac Escalade to a marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, a clothing store in West Hollywood and then to a gas station across the street from the Beverly Center.

There, Houston parked his car behind the station so that Jones, Lindsey and the unnamed defendant could ambush Rondo. They got out and opened fire, killing Robinson, who was standing outside the Escalade, but missing Rondo, the indictment and news reports of the shooting say.

The suspects then went to an In-N-Out hamburger stand where they discussed payment with Grant and then flew from San Diego to Chicago, Corcoran and other documents say. Wilson later allegedly paid Jones and Lindsey an undisclosed amount.

Grant, Jones. Lindsey, Wilson and Houston were arrested Thursday in Chicago on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Information about the attorney was not immediately available for these men in the lawsuits.

After their arrests, Corcoran wrote, Banks booked two flights from South Florida airports: one to Dubai and one to Switzerland. He then booked a private flight to Italy, but was arrested in Miami before he could board that flight.

Banks made his first appearance at the C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse in Miami on Friday afternoon. Banks’ attorney, Alek Ubieta, asked for privacy after leaving court, telling Miami ABC affiliate WPLG, “We will not be commenting at this time.”

ABC News has also contacted Ubieta.

Banks’ family was also seen leaving the court on Friday.

“We knew when the others were charged that it was a conspiracy involving multiple players, but the fact that he is now being charged so close to those other charges suggests that this is linked to them, and the conspiracy is even broader than originally presented,” said legal analyst Gil Soffer.

As prosecutors move forward with the case, members of the OTF group will likely be used to try to secure a conviction.

“They will certainly try to capture someone involved in the conspiracy and use that testimony against other defendants.” Perhaps this is a telephone tap. There may be undercover reporting. All of these pieces will come together to make the case against the defendants,” Soffer said.

Banks’ arrest comes just weeks after he was named in a lawsuit alleging the rapper had a hand in the 2020 gang-related fatal shooting of Chicago rapper FBG Duck, born Carlton Weekly.

Duck was murdered in the Gold Coast area by a group of masked men while waiting to enter a luxury store.

Six alleged gang members were convicted of carrying out Weekly’s murder.

Weekly’s mother spoke with ABC7’s Karen Jordan after she filed the lawsuit.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him and the life that was taken from him.” LaSheena Weekly, FBG Duck’s mother, said.

Lil Durk and his team did not comment on that lawsuit.

The village of Broadview, Illinois revoked the keys to the town from Lil Durk on Friday.

“While the American legal system grants everyone the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law, the court of public opinion of the residents in the Village of Broadview holds even higher moral and ethical standards of conduct. And our public partners must also reflect the same uncompromising standards demanded by our residents. In light of the news that Durk “Lil Durk” Banks has been arrested in Florida and charged with murder-for-hire, the Village of Broadview is rescinding our honorary “Key to the Village” awarded to Durk. and terminates our partnership agreement with its youth organization, the Neighborhood Heroes Foundation. As mayor, protecting the interests of Broadview and upholding the values of its residents is job number one,” Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said in a statement.

The 32-year-old Chicago rapper won a Grammy earlier this year for best melodic rap performance for “All My Life” with J. Cole. His albums ‘The Voice’, released in 2020, and ‘7220’, released in 2022, both went platinum. His latest album would be released next month.

Lil Durk is one of the industry’s most popular drill rap artists, a controversial hip-hop subgenre that started in Chicago and was popularized by rappers like Durk and Chief Keef, Fredo Santana and G Herbo. It is known for its often violent lyrics and its connection to Chicago’s gang culture.

If convicted of these crimes, Banks could face life in prison.

“The penalty is very high… it could even be the death penalty if there are enough aggravating circumstances,” Soffer said.

The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.