American rapper Lil Durk has been found not guilty of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire case in Los Angeles, following three days of jury deliberations.

The verdict was delivered on Friday, September 11. The rapper, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, faced five federal charges linked to a 2022 shooting that left the cousin of rapper Quando Rondo dead.

Prosecutors alleged that Lil Durk helped organise an attack targeting Atlanta rapper Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman, as revenge for the 2020 killing of his close friend, rapper Dayvon “King Von” Bennett.

Rondo survived the August 2022 shooting in Los Angeles, but his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, was killed.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Lil Durk helped finance the operation and provided resources, including travel and vehicles, for people involved in the attack.

They argued that the shooting was part of an effort to retaliate for King Von’s death.However, Lil Durk’s lawyers denied that he planned or paid for the attack.

They challenged the credibility of witnesses who had reached plea agreements with prosecutors and argued that other people could have organised the shooting without his knowledge.

Lil Durk was arrested in Miami on October 24, 2024, and had remained in federal custody since then.After the verdict, supporters celebrated outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.

Two other defendants tried alongside Lil Durk, Deandre “OTF Dede” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey, were also acquitted of the murder-for-hire charge. However, both were convicted on stalking-related charges.

Despite the acquittal, Lil Durk will not be released immediately. He remains in federal custody pending a separate case involving racketeering and murder-related and firearms allegations. That trial is scheduled to begin on October 5.

Lil Durk is one of Chicago’s best-known rappers. He won a Grammy Award in 2024 for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life”, a collaboration with J. Cole.

The not-guilty verdict means the jury found that prosecutors had not proved the charges against Lil Durk beyond a reasonable doubt. However, his separate federal case means his legal troubles are not yet over.