EXCLUSIVE: Lil Durk Case Grows Heavier As Prosecutors Weigh More Charges

Lil Durk’s case could expand after prosecutors signal they may add older Chicago and Atlanta incidents before trial.

Lil Durk and his co-defendants are facing the possibility of new charges in their Los Angeles federal murder-for-hire case, with prosecutors signaling they may expand the indictment before the matter heads to trial.

The possible expansion surfaced in a May 21 court filing from Deandre Wilson, one of Durk’s co-defendants. Wilson is asking a federal judge to reconsider his detention and let him out on bond while the case moves forward.

Wilson’s filing says prosecutors informed defense lawyers on May 13 that they are considering supplemental charges by June 3. The new charges would add two older alleged incidents as direct evidence: a 2022 Chicago incident and a 2019 Atlanta incident.

That could create a major timing problem for all parties. Wilson’s lawyers say the added charges would likely knock the case off its current August 20, 2026, trial date, requiring new arraignments, more discovery, additional motions and more investigation.

Wilson’s lawyers say the two incidents do not involve him, and that is the core of his freedom bid. He argues he should not remain jailed for months while lawyers prepare for events where prosecutors do not even place him at the scene.

The Atlanta matter appears to trace back to a January 2019 shooting near the Varsity restaurant in downtown Atlanta. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, had faced felony charges in that case before the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office dropped them in 2022.

Those charges included criminal attempt to commit murder, aggravated assault, participation in criminal street gang activity, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The victim was shot in the leg after an argument near the restaurant.

A dismissal motion filed October 17, 2022, said prosecutors reviewed the facts and chose not to prosecute, even though probable cause had existed for Durk’s arrest. “For some reason they decided that Mr. Banks was involved since some of the people he affiliated were involved in the shooting. We strongly denied that,” Durk’s attorney told FOX 5 Atlanta.

The Chicago matter appears to involve the January 2022 killing of Stephon Mack outside a Roseland community center. ABC7 Chicago reported in December 2024 that unsealed court records claimed Banks was behind the fatal shooting, but Durk has not been charged in that killing.

That is the tension in Wilson’s new filing. His lawyers say prosecutors want to use the Chicago and Atlanta incidents as direct evidence in the federal case, even though both predate the August 2022 Los Angeles murder of Quando Rondo’s cousin Lul Pab, which is at the heart of the indictment.

Wilson has been in custody since his initial appearance on November 15, 2024, meaning he has already spent more than 18 months behind bars before trial even begins. The government opposes his request for release, and the broader case against Durk remains severe.

Durk was arrested in October 2024 near an airport after prosecutors said he had booked multiple international flights. The Justice Department said he was charged in a superseding federal indictment alleging he conspired with others to kill a rival rapper in Los Angeles, a plot prosecutors tie to the 2020 killing of King Von in Atlanta.

The case stems from the August 19, 2022, shooting near the Beverly Center, where the intended target was Quando Rondo but Lul Pab was killed instead in broad daylight. Durk has pleaded not guilty, remains jailed and has been denied bond due to the seriousness of the charges and concerns about flight risk.

As of the May 22 filing, the joint trial remained set for August 20, 2026.

Related