Judge separates new racketeering charges from Lil Durk’s upcoming murder-for-hire trial

A federal judge has ruled that newly filed racketeering charges against rapper Lil Durk will be separated from his upcoming murder-for-hire trial, handing the Chicago artiste a significant legal victory ahead of his scheduled court date.

U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald ruled that allegations connected to a 2019 attempted killing in Atlanta and a 2022 homicide in Chicago will not be presented to the jury during the Los Angeles trial, which is set to begin on August 20.

The judge determined that prosecutors introduced the additional charges too late in the case and ordered them to be tried separately at a later date.

Lil Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot targeting rapper Quando Rondo following the 2020 death of his close friend and fellow rapper King Von. The 2022 shooting in Los Angeles resulted in the death of Saviay’a Robinson, Quando Rondo’s cousin.

Despite separating the new racketeering counts, Judge Fitzgerald ruled that Lil Durk and his co-defendants will still be tried together in the Los Angeles case.

Following the hearing, Lil Durk’s attorney, Drew Findling, welcomed the decision, saying the defense has remained committed to proving the rapper’s innocence and is looking ahead to the August trial.

Lil Durk has remained in federal custody without bail since his arrest in October 2024. Prosecutors are also seeking to keep the identities of jurors anonymous due to security concerns.

The trial is scheduled to begin on August 20, 2026.