A federal jury reached a verdict in rapper Lil Durk's high-profile murder-for-hire trial on Friday. In August 2022, Lil Durk, whose actual name is Durk Devontay Banks, was accused of planning a murder-for-hire scheme against rapper Quando Rondo.
While the jury's decision marked a major development in the criminal proceedings against Lil Durk, the attention is on Quando Rondo's whereabouts. The rapper had pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana in a separate federal drug case.
The case's concluding arguments concluded on Tuesday, September 8. According to Taylor Parise of LA Magazine, the jury at the Los Angeles courthouse on Friday found rapper Lil Durk not guilty on all charges after three days of deliberations.
Deep Dive
What are the details of Quando Rondo's sentencing related to the drug charges?
How is Quando Rondo connected to Lil Durk's murder-for-hire trial?
What happened to Quando Rondo during the shooting incident in Los Angeles?
Where is Quando Rondo now?
Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman, was sentenced to 33 months in prison, ordered to pay a $40,000 fine, and began serving his sentence in late 2024.
{{/usCountry}}Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman, was sentenced to 33 months in prison, ordered to pay a $40,000 fine, and began serving his sentence in late 2024.
{{/usCountry}}Bowman had been charged with a more comprehensive conspiracy involving methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana prior to making a plea deal. As part of the plea agreement, that charge, which could have resulted in a 20-year jail sentence, was withdrawn.
After being sentenced, Bowman spent 15 months of his sentence at the Edgefield Federal Correctional Institution. Bowman has now entered community confinement, where inmates gradually transition back into society while completing the remainder of their sentences.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate database cited by Rolling Stone, Bowman has been transferred from the Edgefield Federal Correctional Institution in South Carolina to a residential re-entry centre, commonly known as a halfway house, in Atlanta.
He is scheduled for full release on November 11.
Before his incarceration, Bowman built a following through songs including "I Remember" featuring Lil Baby, "ABG", "Imperfect Flower", and his appearance on YoungBoy Never Broke Again's hit "I Am Who They Say I Am." His latest studio album, Here for a Reason, was released shortly before he reported to prison.
At his sentencing hearing, Bowman apologised to his family and hometown. “I really want to give an apology to the city of Savannah... and most of all my daughters,” he told the court, according to Rolling Stone.
How Quando Rondo became embroiled with Lil Durk
Although Bowman is not a defendant in Lil Durk's federal case, he remains one of its central figures.
Federal prosecutors alleged that masked gunmen targeted Bowman during a 2022 shooting in Los Angeles. The attack instead claimed the life of his cousin, Robinson. Prosecutors argued the shooting formed the basis of the murder-for-hire charges against Banks.
The rivalry between Lil Durk and Quando Rondo stretches back to the November 2020 killing of Chicago rapper King Von outside an Atlanta nightclub. Von, a close associate of Lil Durk, was fatally shot during an altercation with Bowman's entourage.
Bowman was never charged in Von's death, but the incident intensified tensions between the two camps.