Rapper Lil Durk was arrested Thursday in Florida by U.S. Marshals on charges of murder-for-hire, booking records show.
The 32-year-old Chicago artist, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, was booked into the Broward County Jail and is being held without bail.
NBC News is reaching out to the U.S. Marshals and Lil Durk’s representatives for comment.
It comes as five people associated with his hip-hop collective ‘Only the Family’ were arrested on a federal indictment in California, accused of committing a murder-for-hire that resulted in death and was allegedly committed out of revenge for the death of a fellow group member.
Three alleged OTF members – Kavon London Grant, known as “Cuz” or “Vonnie”; Deandre Dontrell Wilson, known as “DeDe”; Asa Houston — known as “Boogie” — was indicted by a grand jury for their alleged role in the murder, according to court documents filed Oct. 17 and released Thursday.
Keith Jones, aka “Flacka,” and David Brian Lindsey, aka “Browneyez,” both alleged to be members of other Chicago gangs, according to the documents, were also charged.
The five men could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.
OTF produces and sells hip-hop music from artists mainly from Chicago. According to The Chicago Tribune, Lil Durk is the founder of the collective and has a 2018 album under the same title.
The charging document stated that on November 6, 2020, a high-ranking OTF member described by the initials “DB” got into a physical altercation with someone identified only as “TB” at a nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia. During that fight, prosecutors say, a TB employee pulled out a gun and shot DB several times, killing him.
Although the victim was not named in the indictment, on the same date in 2020, NBC News reported on the death of Dayvon Daquan Bennett, a rapper known in Atlanta as “King Von,” who was part of OTF and collaborated with Lil Durk on music.
After DB’s death, an individual described as a “Co-conspirator 1” “made it clear in coded language” that they would pay “a bounty or monetary reward” to “anyone who participated in killing TB for his role in the murder of DB. “, the complaint said.
Then, on August 18, 2022, “the conspirators learned that TB was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles,” the filing said.
After learning TB’s location, Wilson, Jones, Lindsey and Houston and an individual described as “co-conspirator 2” traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles “for the purpose of killing TB.” That day, Grant also traveled by private jet from Florida to Los Angeles. Angeles, the complaint said.
On August 19, 2022, Grant, Wilson, Jones, Lindsey and Houston and Co-Conspirator 2 used two vehicles to “track, stalk and attempt to kill TB by gunfire – including with a fully automatic firearm – resulting in the death of SR’ who was a passenger in TB’s vehicle.
The indictment stated that Grant, Wilson Jones, Lindsey and Houston and Co-Conspirator 2 followed that day. TB’s black Escalade to a gas station on Beverly Boulevard and Houston drives their vehicle to an alley behind the gas station and parks so that “Jones and Lindsey and Co-Conspirator2 might try to kill TB”
Jones, Lindsey and Co-Conspirator 2 allegedly fired multiple shots at TB, but ultimately killed SR, and Wilson paid the bounty/cash reward on behalf of the co-conspirators, the document said.
The charging documents stated that the five and co-conspirators used “facilities for interstate and foreign commerce,” such as aircraft, automobiles, cell phones and the Internet, “with the intent that the tuberculosis murder would be committed.”
Grant allegedly purchased cars, ski masks and firearms that were used to detect, track and kill tuberculosis, the indictment said.
The indictment against the five men is based on charges of conspiracy and use of interstate facilities to commit murder for murder resulting in death, the use of carrying and discharging firearms and machine guns, the possession of such firearms in furtherance of a violent crime resulting in death, possession of a machine gun and forfeiture.
It was not immediately clear whether the men have retained attorneys.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
