Lil Durk’s attempt to get out of jail hit a wall this week after federal prosecutors pushed back on his latest bond request. They argue the Chicago-bred rapper remains a flight risk and danger to the public.
Durk is accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot targeting rapper Quando Rondo. Though Rondo wasn’t harmed, his cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was fatally shot at a gas station near Los Angeles’ Beverly Center on August 19, 2022.
Federal prosecutors allege the killing was revenge for the 2020 murder of King Von, a close associate of Lil Durk and member of his Only The Family (OTF) collective.
In a superseding indictment filed last November, Lil Durk was formally charged alongside five co-conspirators. The government claims he led OTF and used the group to carry out violent acts, including murder.
Lil Durk’s legal team recently asked the Court to reconsider his detention, arguing that prosecutors improperly relied on lyrics pulled from fan-made websites and viral videos to link him to the crime.
But the government swiftly rejected that claim, stating the artist’s incarceration was based on his conduct—not his music.
“The timing of [Lil Durk’s] lyrics and whether or not he ‘commercialized’ his violence through rap (which he did) has little to no bearing on the detention analysis before the Court,” United States Attorney Bilal A. Essayli said. “The issue here is a narrow one: has [Lil Durk] presented new information, not known to him in December 2024, that has a material bearing on whether he should be detained pending trial? The answer is no.”
They also pointed to his alleged behavior following the arrests of his co-defendants, claiming he tried to flee the country by booking three international flights, including one to a nation without an extradition treaty. He was taken into custody while attempting to board a private jet.
Prosecutors further argued that lyrics describing bounty payments and targeting rivals closely mirrored the methods allegedly used in Robinson’s killing.
They noted that even if the lyrics were written before the murder, they still reflected a pattern of behavior consistent with the charges.
Essayli added, “[Lil Durk] was not detained because of videos his fans created: he was detained because he is alleged to be the leader of a violent organization; because he orchestrated and funded an execution-style murder with machine guns at a busy gas station; and because he tried to flee the country after his co-conspirators were arrested.”
The Court ruled in December 2024 that no bond conditions could ensure public safety or prevent flight, citing Lil Durk’s wealth, influence and past attempts to evade law enforcement.
If the Court reopens the detention hearing, prosecutors said they plan to introduce new evidence showing that Lil Durk has continued to violate Bureau of Prisons rules while in custody.
As Essayli explaind, “To the extent the Court permits the hearing, the government will be prepared to submit additional evidence showing [Lil Durk’s] dangerousness and willingness to disregard conditions imposed upon him, including ongoing violations of BOP rules.”
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