Lil Durk Accused of Putting BOUNTIES on SIX People, Now Facing LIFE in Prison After Feds Say He Tried to Flee to Italy on Private Jet

The Grammy is sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. The hit songs are still streaming. The money is still flowing. But Durk Devontay Banks, the 32-year-old Chicago drill legend known worldwide as Lil Durk, is sitting in federal custody facing charges so serious that if convicted, he may never breathe free air again.

Life In Prison?!

That’s what the feds are threatening. And the reason? They say Durk didn’t just put a bounty on one person. They say he put bounties on MULTIPLE people. At least six that we know of. Maybe more. They say he promised cash AND music opportunities through his Only The Family (OTF) collective to anyone willing to pull triggers. They say he orchestrated murder for hire operations like he was running a criminal enterprise disguised as a record label.

And now, the walls are closing in. The indictments keep coming. The evidence keeps piling up. And Lil Durk, who just won a Grammy eight months ago, is fighting for his life in a case that has exposed the darkest corners of the Chicago drill scene and raised uncomfortable questions about where the music ends and the violence begins.

This isn’t rumor. This isn’t speculation. This is federal court. This is the FBI. This is as real as it gets.

The Arrest That Shocked Hip Hop

October 24, 2024. Lil Durk was arrested near Miami International Airport. Not at a studio. Not at home. At an AIRPORT. Because according to the FBI, he was trying to RUN.

The feds claim Durk had booked multiple international flights that day. One to Switzerland. One to Dubai. And when those got too hot, he allegedly booked a private jet to Italy.

He was arrested on his approach to the airport before he could board the Italy flight.

Let that marinate. A Grammy winning artist. A man with millions of dollars and millions of fans. Allegedly trying to flee the country the SAME DAY his associates got indicted. That’s not the behavior of someone who thinks they’re innocent. That’s the behavior of someone who knows the hammer is about to drop.

And drop it did.

The Six Names and the Bounty System

Here’s what makes this case absolutely WILD. The feds aren’t just saying Durk put a hit on Quando Rondo (Tyquian Bowman). They’re saying he operated a BOUNTY SYSTEM. “Banks would place bounties on individuals that he and other OTF members wanted to kill,” prosecutors stated clearly.

Bounties. PLURAL. Multiple people. A whole system.

The indictment names six defendants total who are part of this alleged conspiracy:

Durk Devontay Banks (Lil Durk) Lead defendant. The alleged mastermind.

Kavon London Grant, 28, of Atlanta. Also known as “Cuz” or “Vonnie.” Accused of procuring cars, ski masks, and firearms. He allegedly flew to LA on a private jet with Durk.

Deandre Dontrell Wilson, 33, of Chicago. Also known as “DeDe.” Accused of paying the bounty or monetary award on behalf of co conspirators.

Keith Jones, 33, of Gary, Indiana. Also known as “Flacka.” Allegedly one of the shooters who opened fire at the gas station.

David Brian Lindsey, 33, of Addison, Illinois. Also known as “Browneyez.” Also allegedly one of the shooters.

Asa Houston, 36, of Chicago. Also known as “Boogie.” Part of the tracking and stalking operation.

But wait. It gets MESSIER. The indictment also references “Co-Conspirators 1-5.” Five MORE people involved who aren’t named yet. That means this operation potentially involved ELEVEN people total.

And guess who prosecutors believe “Co-Conspirator 1” is? The person who allegedly “would place bounties on individuals” and “made clear, in coded language, that Co-Conspirator 1 would pay a bounty or monetary reward”?

Yeah. They’re talking about Durk. They just haven’t officially confirmed it in some documents yet. But the evidence makes it pretty obvious.

The Murder for Hire That Started It All

Let’s talk about what specifically got everyone arrested. August 19, 2022. Los Angeles. A gas station near the Beverly Center mall.

Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson, 24, Quando Rondo’s cousin, was standing next to a black Escalade when at least 18 rounds were fired. He died at the scene. Quando Rondo survived.

The hit was meant for Quando. They got his cousin instead.

And according to the feds, this entire operation was planned, funded, and executed by Lil Durk and his OTF crew. Here’s how they say it went down:

On August 18, 2022, the conspirators learned Quando Rondo was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles. Within HOURS, five men flew from Chicago to San Diego using funds provided by Durk. That same day, Durk allegedly texted an associate arranging the flights: “Don’t book no flights under no names involved wit me.”

Think about that text for a second. He’s telling them to use OTHER people’s names to book flights. That’s consciousness of guilt. That’s trying to avoid a paper trail. That’s CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY.

Video evidence allegedly shows Durk was staying at a house in the San Fernando Valley that same day.

The five men from Chicago met up with Kavon Grant, who had flown there separately on a private jet with Durk. Grant got them hotel rooms at the Sheraton Universal Hotel. He purchased FOUR ski masks. He obtained two luxury sedans.

They tracked Quando Rondo around Los Angeles for HOURS. Surveillance video allegedly captured them following his Escalade in a white Infiniti and white BMW. When Quando stopped at a gas station, they opened fire.

About 50 minutes after the shooting, surveillance video from an In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles captured the co-conspirators at the restaurant. They went to get BURGERS after allegedly killing someone. Then a few hours later, they flew back to Chicago using the same OTF linked credit card.

The audacity. The coldness. The complete disregard for human life. It’s chilling.

The King Von Connection and the Code of the Streets

To understand WHY this allegedly happened, you need to understand King Von. Dayvon “King Von” Bennett was Lil Durk’s protégé. He was signed to OTF. He was Durk’s artist, his friend, his brother.

November 6, 2020. Outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta. King Von and Quando Rondo’s crews got into a physical altercation. An associate of Quando Rondo shot and killed King Von during the confrontation. Not Quando himself. An associate. Lul Timm is the name that’s been thrown around, though he’s never been officially charged.

Quando Rondo was never legally charged in connection with King Von’s death. But in street code, that doesn’t matter. Your mans killed my mans? You’re all responsible. And retribution is expected.

After King Von’s murder, prosecutors say “Co-Conspirator 1 made clear, in coded language, that Co-Conspirator 1 would pay a bounty or monetary reward, and/or make payment to anyone who took part in killing” Quando Rondo.

And it wasn’t just money. The bounty allegedly included “lucrative music opportunities with OTF.” Sign a deal. Get features. Build your career. All you have to do is commit murder.

That’s not a record label. That’s a criminal organization using the music industry as cover.

The FBG Duck Connection Makes It Even WORSE

But wait. There’s MORE.

King Von’s death came just months after his bitter rival FBG Duck (real name Carlton Weekly) was gunned down in a daytime shooting in Chicago’s Gold Coast. August 4, 2020. FBG Duck was standing outside a Dolce & Gabbana store when masked men pulled up and killed him in broad daylight.

Federal prosecutors said King Von had allegedly placed a bounty on FBG Duck. Six reputed gang members were convicted in the killing in January 2024.

And now? In October 2024, the mother of FBG Duck filed a lawsuit accusing Lil Durk, OTF, and King Von of being involved in her son’s death.

So let’s recap. King Von allegedly put a bounty on FBG Duck. FBG Duck gets killed. Months later, King Von gets killed by Quando Rondo’s associate. Then Lil Durk allegedly puts a bounty on Quando Rondo. Quando’s cousin gets killed.

It’s a cycle. A never ending cycle of violence, retaliation, bounties, and bodies. And Lil Durk is allegedly at the CENTER of it all, orchestrating hits like he’s running the mob.

The Charges That Could End Everything

Lil Durk was initially arrested on one charge: conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Bad enough on its own.

But on November 8, 2024, the Department of Justice announced ADDITIONAL charges: one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder for hire resulting in death, 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.

Machine gun charges. That’s federal. That’s mandatory minimums. That’s SERIOUS.

All six defendants are facing the same charges. They could all face a maximum sentence of LIFE in prison if convicted on all counts.

Durk pleaded not guilty on November 14, 2024, at his arraignment in Los Angeles. A detention hearing is scheduled for December 12, and a trial date was set for January 7, 2025.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue ordered Durk be jailed WITHOUT bond. He’s not getting out. Prosecutors argued he’s a flight risk (remember those international flights?) and a danger to the community.

His five co defendants are also in federal custody. Some in Chicago. Some in Illinois county jails awaiting extradition to Los Angeles. Nobody’s going home.

The U.S. Attorney Wasn’t Playing

Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles, called the shooting “a cold-blooded murder.”

He continued: “The shooting occurred in the open, at a gas station at a busy intersection, endangering many others in the area. Violent gun crime of this sort is devastating to our community and we will have zero-tolerance for those who perpetrate such callous acts of violence.”

Zero tolerance. That’s not prosecutorial speak for “maybe we’ll negotiate.” That’s “we’re throwing the book at you and we want LIFE.”

The Grammy Winner Who Might Die in Prison

Here’s what makes this so devastating. Durk received the 2024 Grammy Award for best melodic rap performance for his single “All My Life” featuring J. Cole. He beat Drake, SZA, and Doja Cat. He’s been nominated four times total.

His albums “The Voice” and “7220” both sold over a million copies each. He’s collaborated with everyone. He’s a legitimate superstar. He had EVERYTHING.

And now he’s facing life in prison. Because allegedly, he couldn’t let King Von’s death go. He had to have revenge. He had to operate like the streets instead of like a businessman. He had to put bounties on people’s heads like this was 1920s Chicago instead of 2020s Los Angeles.

Two villages in Chicago’s western suburbs, Bellwood and Broadview, honored Durk last week and announced collaborations with his charity, Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, to provide youth mentors.

Youth mentors. He was being honored for giving back to the community. And that same week, he was arrested for allegedly orchestrating multiple murder for hire plots.

The duality. The hypocrisy. The tragedy of it all.

The Bottom Line

Lil Durk is accused of operating a bounty system through Only The Family. Six people are charged. Five more are unnamed co conspirators. That’s potentially ELEVEN people involved in an alleged murder for hire conspiracy.

Saviay’a Robinson is dead. King Von is dead. FBG Duck is dead. The bodies keep piling up. The violence keeps cycling. And now the federal government is saying ENOUGH.

They’re not charging him with state crimes. They’re charging him FEDERALLY. That means no parole. That means if convicted, he serves every single day. That means life in prison actually means LIFE.

Durk won a Grammy in February 2025. He got arrested in October 2025. Eight months from the highest high to the lowest low. From accepting an award on stage to sitting in federal custody facing life.

The trial starts January 7, 2025. The world will be watching. The evidence will be presented. The witnesses will testify. And Durk Devontay Banks will find out if his music career is over and his life is effectively over too.

This isn’t entertainment anymore. This isn’t drill music. This isn’t a music video. This is real life. Real charges. Real consequences. Real possibility that one of Chicago’s biggest rap stars will never see freedom again.

The feds say he put bounties on SIX people. They say he promised money AND music deals. They say he tried to flee the country. They say he orchestrated cold blooded murder.

Lil Durk says he’s not guilty. His lawyers will fight. But the evidence? The text messages, the credit card receipts, the surveillance videos, the flight records?

That evidence is DAMNING.

And if the jury believes it, Lil Durk’s next album won’t be dropping on streaming platforms. It’ll be recorded collect calls from federal prison. If he’s allowed to record at all.

This is what happens when the streets and the music industry collide. When revenge becomes more important than freedom. When loyalty to the dead matters more than life for the living.

King Von is gone. Nothing Durk allegedly did will bring him back. But what it WILL do is potentially take Durk away forever too.

Two talented rappers. Dead or imprisoned. Over what? Street code? Retaliation? Bounties? None of it brings anyone back. It just creates more victims. More families destroyed. More talent wasted.

The Talk Lounge will be following this case closely. Because this isn’t just about one rapper. This is about an entire culture. An entire system. An entire way of operating that the federal government is now actively dismantling.

Lil Durk facing life in prison is breaking news. But the real story? The real tragedy? It’s that we all saw this coming. The music told us. The lyrics warned us. The violence was always there, hiding in plain sight.

Now it’s in a federal courtroom. And the consequences are finally catching up.