Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Durk was arrested in Florida on Thursday night by U.S. Marshalls, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Department.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department told NTD News that the rapper was held overnight in their facilities.
The 32-year-old artist, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, faces federal charges related to an alleged murder-for-hire scheme targeting fellow rapper Quando Rondo in 2022, according to an FBI affidavit released Friday.
The charges stem from a shooting at a Los Angeles gas station on Aug. 19, 2022, which resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin, 24-year-old Saviay’a Robinson. According to the affidavit, the attack was allegedly orchestrated in retaliation for the November 2020 killing of “Only the Family” (OTF) rapper King Von in Atlanta.
FBI Agent Sarah Corcoran’s affidavit alleges Durk’s Chicago-based rap collective, OTF, engages in violence to maintain their status in the group.
OTF members engage “in violence, including murder and assault, at the direction of Banks and to maintain their status in OTF,” according to the affidavit.
The investigation has led to the arrest of five additional OTF members in Chicago: Deandre Wilson, Keith Jones, David Lindsey, Asa Houston, and Kayon Grant, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles District Court on Friday. All face conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire charges, with at least two more arrests potentially forthcoming.
According to the affidavit, on Aug. 18, 2022, Durk’s associates allegedly learned that Rondo was visiting Los Angeles. The next day, a group of suspects reportedly tracked Rondo and Robinson as they visited various locations around the city.
The indictment shows the ambush took place at a gas station near the Beverly Center. Houston allegedly parked behind the station, allowing Jones, Lindsey, and a third suspect to open fire on Rondo’s vehicle. Rondo escaped unscathed, but Robinson was fatally wounded, according to the indictment.
Following the shooting, the suspects reportedly met at an In-N-Out Burger to discuss payment before their return to Chicago, with Wilson allegedly paying Jones and Lindsey for their involvement.
Before his arrest, Durk allegedly attempted to flee the country after learning of fellow OTF members’ arrests. The FBI, in the indictment, claims that the rapper booked flights from Florida to Dubai and Switzerland before arranging a private flight to Italy. He was apprehended in Miami before he could board the latter.
Drive-by Shooting Case
In previous encounters with the law, Durk and King Von in 2019 faced charges in Atlanta for a drive-by shooting, but the case against Durk was dropped in 2022.
In 2014, he pleaded guilty to felony weapons charges in Chicago but avoided jail time.
More recently, Durk has been making a name for himself in the music industry. Earlier this year, he won a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his song “All My Life,” which features J. Cole.
He’s also previously been nominated for the award three times and has collaborated with famous musicians like Drake.
After learning of recent allegations, Katrina Thompson, mayor of Broadview, Illinois, said the city has since severed ties with a foundation in Durk’s name, Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, which focused on providing resources and mentoring opportunities in some Chicago suburbs. She said she also withdrew an honorary key to a village previously given to Durk.
“As mayor, protecting Broadview’s interests and upholding the values of residents is job number one,” Thompson stated on her Facebook page.
Durk’s representatives didn’t immediately return requests for comment made by NTD News.
The rapper and the other defendants are currently being held pending their transfer to Los Angeles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.