Rapper Lil Durk's Rep Slams Prosecutors' Lyrics Evidence In Murder-For-Hire Case
By Afouda Bamidele on December 5, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST
Lil Durk's legal team recently called out prosecutors for grasping at straws in the rapper's felony case.
The "Viral Moment" hitmaker was arrested by federal authorities on a conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire charge in October. The case against him intensified last month with additional charges naming him as the mastermind behind the murder plot.
However, Lil Durk's attorneys slammed prosecutors for using the lyrics to one of his songs as evidence. They argued that the feds had little to nothing to hold against the rapper if they were using his music to push their murder-for-hire case.
Lil Durk's Lawyers Claim Prosecutors Lack Evidence To Use Against Him
Durk's legal reps ā Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg, Jonathan Brayman, and Christy O'Connor of The Findling Law Firm ā responded to prosecutors' use of their client's "Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy" song as evidence in the murder-for-hire case.
The rapper, born Durk Devontay Banks, was featured on the Babyface Ray song, which was released in December 2022, four months after the murder of Quando Rondo's cousin, Saviay'a Robinson. The feds believed Durk detailed the steps that led up to the August incident with the lyrics:
"Told me they got an addy (gooo) / Got location (gooo) Green light (go, go, go, go, go) / Look on the news and see your son, You screamin', 'No, no' (pāy!!!)."
However, Durk's attorneys slammed the claim as a classic grasping-at-straws move, telling TMZ, "When you see an artist's rap lyrics quoted as 'evidence' against them, it is a glaring indication that there is no real evidence against that person."
The Hip-Hop Star's Reps Double Down On His Innocence
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Durk's lawyers stressed that prosecutors did not have a case against their client because they lacked proper evidence, and he was also innocent. "The claims in the indictment against Mr. Banks are false and lacking in the most basic due diligence," they claimed.
"The real truth is that Durk Banks is a Grammy Award-winning artist, a dedicated father, and a loving husband," the attorneys' statement continued. They hailed Durk as a model Chicago citizen, adding:
"Mr. Banks has been intensely committed to giving back to the Chicago community he loves through his Neighborhood Heroes Foundation and has put on more than a dozen charitable events over the last few years."
Lil Durk Received Support From Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
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Durk's reps concluded their statement, noting: "He is looking forward to fighting against these false allegations in court." Their response to prosecutors comes a month after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson seemingly defended the rapper.
The Mayor stood in Durk's corner after numerous citizens pushed for the entertainer to be canceled. However, other Chicago politicians did not share Johnson's sentiments, as Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson immediately cut ties with the rapper after his arrest.
Although she acknowledged the U.S. law's innocent-until-proven-guilty practice, Mayor Thompson withdrew the village of Broadview's honorary "key to the village" that was bestowed on Durk. She also terminated her village's partnership agreement with his youth organization, Neighborhood Heroes Foundation.
The Rapper Was Slammed With Additional Charges
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Last month, The Blast reported that Durk's case had intensified with additional charges against him. He received two extra felony counts on Friday, November 8, accusing him of conspiracy and using interstate facilities to assist in the assassination of Rondo's cousin.
The feds were reportedly treating the rapper as the "kingpin" of the assassination plot in a superseding federal grand jury indictment. They claimed Durk funded his Only The Family gang's trip to California in August 2022 to carry out the murder scheme.
The gang affiliates allegedly stayed in a hotel room and stalked Rondo's car before opening fire outside a Los Angeles gas station close to the Beverly Center shopping mall. The shooting saw Durk and five other co-defendants getting pinned for the crime.
Lil Durk Allegedly Funded The Murder Plot To Avenge His Pal's Death
Federal investigators believed Durk and his gang associates attacked Rondo's cousin in retaliation for King Von's death. The late rapper, born Dayvon Daquan Bennett, was fatally shot on November 6, 2020, outside Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta.
The tragic shooting had six victims, three of whom died from their injuries. Durk and Von were close friends and collaborators, with the latter's demise causing him to deactivate his Instagram account.
At the time, many believed he took a social media hiatus to mourn his pal's death, but another report begged to differ.
According to sources, Durk might have deactivated his social media account because he was doing an Instagram Live when he learned about Von's death. He eventually returned to the platform to honor his friend, lamenting:
"MY TWIN GONE I LOVE YOU BABY BRO - D ROY !!!!!"
Will Lil Durk escape the murder-for-hire case?