US rapper Lil Durk acquitted in alleged murder-for-hire scheme case
A federal jury in Los Angeles, United States, acquitted Chicago rapper Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, of all charges in a case involving an alleged murder-for-hire scheme. The Guardian reports.
Prosecution's version
Prosecutors claimed that Banks offered a reward for the killing of Atlanta rapper Tyquian Bowman. According to the prosecution, this was allegedly revenge for the 2020 death of Banks' friend, Chicago rapper King Von, who was shot dead.
The prosecution said that in 2022, members of Only the Family — an alleged criminal group and record label with which Banks was associated — tracked Bowman to a gas station in West Hollywood. There, they opened fire on his vehicle. Bowman's cousin, Saviay'a Robinson, was killed in the attack.
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Testimony and the defense's position
Casey Gester, who said he was one of the shooters, testified that after the attack Banks asked him whether anyone had been hurt, how many times he had fired, and what exactly he had done. The rapper's defense questioned the reliability of this testimony, saying that Gester was seeking a reduced sentence.
Banks' lawyers also sought to portray his former assistant, Kevon Grant, as the organizer of the 2022 shooting. Prosecutors disagreed with this version and insisted that the events would not have happened without Banks' leadership.
Other proceedings
Despite the acquittal in this case, Lil Durk's legal troubles are not over. He is due to stand trial in a second case on racketeering charges. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the hearing was scheduled for October 5; Banks is also to face charges of racketeering murder and firearms-related crimes in that case.
