Federal Prosecutors Link Lil Durk to 2022 Chicago Murder Ahead of Detention Hearing

Newly unsealed court documents have connected Chicago rapper Lil Durk, already facing murder-for-hire charges in Los Angeles, to the 2022 fatal shooting of an alleged gang leader outside a community center on Chicago’s Far South Side.

The warrant application, originally filed in April 2023, was made public on Wednesday, just ahead of Lil Durk’s detention hearing scheduled for Thursday in his Los Angeles murder-for-hire case.

Lil Durk, whose real name is Devontay Durk Banks, was charged last month with financing a cross-country murder-for-hire operation to avenge the 2020 killing of fellow Chicago rapper King Von in Atlanta.

BREAKING: Lil Durk linked in newly unsealed file in a Chicago Murder where he’s alleged to have been behind the murder of Stephon Mack. It is believed that Mack was killed as revenge for the death of Lil Durk brother “D Thang” on January 27, 2022 according to prosecutors. They…

— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) December 12, 2024

The unsealed federal court filing alleges that Banks orchestrated the January 27, 2022, murder of 24-year-old Stephon Mack, who was gunned down shortly after leaving the Youth Peace Center of Roseland on West 111th Street according to AOL News. At the time, Mack was identified by the FBI as the leader of the Smashville faction of the Gangster Disciples.

Lil Durk – “My brother DThang just got killed… But we got back on they ass, I bet they know this”

the Definition of being Cooked https://t.co/w68vweBykl pic.twitter.com/SqHkWvFMgz

— celine (@sp9tier) December 12, 2024

Banks’ brother, Dontay Banks, was fatally shot in 2021 outside a nightclub in south suburban Harvey. The warrant application claims that another Gangster Disciples faction linked to Smashville was responsible for the killing.

“Lil Durk was and still is offering money for people to kill those responsible for his brother’s murder, and more specifically, offering to pay money for any Gangster Disciple that is killed,” a federal agent wrote in the April 2023 filing.

While Banks has not been charged in the Chicago investigation, law enforcement sources have stated that the case remains active.

Related Charges and Evidence

Earlier this year, federal prosecutors in Chicago charged Anthony Montgomery-Wilson and Preston Powell with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in connection with Mack’s death. Though Banks has not been charged in Mack’s killing, prosecutors in Los Angeles plan to use the incident as evidence to keep him in custody before trial.

The investigation into Mack’s death examined jail phone calls, social media posts, firearm purchases, and lyrics from Lil Durk’s song “Ahhh Ha,” which was released about a month after the shooting. According to the warrant, Montgomery-Wilson and Powell may have exchanged text messages about payment for Mack’s murder.

Montgomery-Wilson was arrested on unrelated charges weeks after Mack’s death. A New Lenox police detective obtained a warrant to search his cellphone, uncovering a two-person text conversation mentioning “OTF”—the rap collective founded by Lil Durk and linked by prosecutors to the Los Angeles murder-for-hire plot.

In the February 2022 texts, one participant asked, “Wassup with otf,” to which the other responded, “Nothing.” Later in the conversation, another message read, “Did durk gave [sic] u that money.”

Defense Response

Lil Durk’s legal team has criticized the prosecution’s reliance on his music as evidence, emphasizing his philanthropic work and contributions to Chicago.

“When you see an artist’s rap lyrics quoted as ‘evidence’ against them, it is a glaring indication that there is no real evidence against that person,” Banks’ attorneys said in a statement. “The real truth is that Durk Banks is a Grammy Award-winning artist, a dedicated father, and a loving husband. Mr. Banks has been intensely committed to giving back to the Chicago community through his Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, hosting over a dozen charitable events in recent years. He looks forward to fighting these false allegations in court.”

Connection to Quando Rondo Incident

In a separate case, federal authorities charged five individuals in mid-October with plotting to kill rapper Quando Rondo—real name Tyquian Terrel Bowman—in retaliation for King Von’s 2020 death. Prosecutors allege that Banks financed the effort.

In August 2022, Bowman, his sister, and his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, were in a black Cadillac Escalade near a gas station in West Hollywood when gunmen opened fire. While Bowman and his sister were unharmed, Robinson was struck multiple times and killed, according to federal charges.

The allegations against Lil Durk underscore the intersection of the music industry, street violence, and legal scrutiny. As these cases unfold, they will likely spark further debate over the role of lyrics in criminal investigations and the broader implications for artists.