A Los Angeles federal jury returned the not-guilty verdict after three days of deliberations, bringing an end to a closely watched case in which prosecutors accused the Chicago-born rapper, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, of orchestrating a revenge-driven murder-for-hire plot.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Banks planned, ordered and financed an operation intended to kill Tyquian Bowman, the Atlanta rapper better known as Quando Rondo. Authorities said the alleged plot was motivated by the 2020 killing of Banks’ close friend and fellow rapper, Dayvon “King Von” Bennett.
The August 19, 2022, attack, however, did not result in Bowman’s death. Instead, his cousin, 24-year-old Saviay’a Robinson, was fatally shot during a daytime ambush in Los Angeles.
Throughout the trial, Banks’ defence team denied that the rapper had any role in the alleged scheme. His lawyers argued that his former personal assistant, Kavon Grant, was responsible for arranging the intended attack and that prosecutors had failed to establish Banks’ involvement beyond a reasonable doubt.
Banks was arrested in 2024 and pleaded not guilty to charges that included conspiracy, stalking involving a dangerous weapon, stalking resulting in death and two murder-for-hire-related offences.
The verdict brought an emotional reaction outside the Los Angeles courthouse, where supporters of the rapper cheered after the jury delivered its decision.
Defence lawyer Drew Findling said Banks was “thankful” following the acquittal.
The case has drawn considerable attention because of Banks’ prominent position in the US hip-hop industry and the violent feud that prosecutors said formed the backdrop to the alleged plot.
Banks, 33, has established himself as one of the leading figures in contemporary rap. Since 2019, seven of his albums have reached the top five of the US Billboard chart. He has also worked with major artists including Drake and J. Cole on commercially successful songs.
The acquittal, however, does not mean Banks is immediately free.
He remains in federal custody while awaiting a separate trial scheduled for next month. That case involves racketeering, murder and firearms charges and is unrelated to the verdict delivered in the Los Angeles murder-for-hire case.
If convicted on all charges in the second case, Banks could face a sentence of life imprisonment.
For now, Friday’s verdict represents a major legal victory for the rapper, whose defence successfully persuaded the jury that prosecutors had not proved his alleged role in the 2022 operation.