The Grammy-winning rapper was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder

Rapper Lil Durk has been arrested in South Florida for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the documents, Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, is being held by the US Marshals Service.

Banks is accused of being the leader of a Chicago rap group called Only the Family, which acts as a group of individuals who commit violence, including murder and assault, at Banks’ direction, according to a federal criminal complaint. The complaint was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

He is accused of placing a “cash reward on an individual with whom Banks had a feud,” according to the complaint.

Banks had a feud with a person identified in court documents as TB. The feud stemmed from a Nov. 6, 2020, homicide in which “a TV employee shot and killed an OTF rapper named Davon Bennett, aka ‘King Von,’ who was a close friend of Banks”, the Justice Department said in a press release.

“In response to Bennett’s murder, Banks allegedly placed a bounty on T.B.’s life,” the Justice Department said.

Nearly two years later, on Aug. 19, 2022, multiple OTF members allegedly used two vehicles and worked together to “track, trace, and attempt to kill TB at a gas station located in Los Angeles,” according to the complaint.

“The accomplices fired at least 18 shots at TB’s car, striking and killing a member of TB’s family who was riding with TB,” the complaint states.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, whose office is handling the case, said such acts of violent gun violence are “devastating” and “callous.”

“Mr. Banks is accused of orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member,” Estrada said in a statement. “Not only that, but the shooting happened out in the open at a gas station at a busy intersection, putting many others in the area at risk.

According to the complaint, Banks is one of five co-conspirators charged in the incident, with crimes including murder, murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death.

According to the Department of Justice, the killers allegedly used bank money and finances linked to the OTF to carry out the attack.

According to prosecutors, five people were allegedly paid to travel from Chicago to Los Angeles the day before the shooting to commit the murder.

“About the time the one-way flights were purchased, Banks told the OTF employee booking the flights, “Don’t book flights without names involved.” (sic) me,” the Ministry of Justice said.

All five people were arrested and locations linked to OTF members were searched.

Banks made his first appearance Friday afternoon at the C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse in Miami. Banks’ attorney, Alec Ubieta, asked for confidentiality after leaving court, telling Miami ABC affiliate WPLG “we will not be commenting at this time.”

ABC News also reached out to Ubieta.

Banks and five other defendants are expected to be arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks, the Justice Department said.

If convicted, they all face the statutory maximum term in federal prison, prosecutors said.

The 32-year-old Chicago rapper won a Grammy earlier this year for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life” featuring J. Cole. His albums The Voice, released in 2020, and 7220, released in 2022, both went platinum. His new album was due out next month.

Dark is one of the hottest rap artists in the industry, a controversial subgenre of hip-hop which began in Chicago and was popularized by rappers such as Durk and Chief Keef, Fredo Santana and G Herbo. He is known for his often violent lyrics and association with Chicago gang culture.