Lil Durk Denied Bail Again as Feds Allege He Used Phone Accounts of 13 Inmates
Lil Durk’s latest attempt to secure his release from jail ahead of his upcoming murder-for-hire trial has been denied—this time due to alleged phone-related violations.
During a Thursday (May 8) hearing in Los Angeles federal court, U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue rejected the Chicago rapper’s bond request, citing a report that accused him of misusing phone privileges while incarcerated.
According to journalist Meghann Cuniff, prosecutors say the “All My Life” emcee accessed the phone accounts of “at least” 13 other inmates and engaged in three-way calls.
“It shows a disrespect for the rules, and that is precisely the court's concern,” Donahue stated during the proceedings.
The 31-year-old artist, born Durk Derrick Banks, was arrested in October 2024 along with several members of his Only the Family (OTF) label for his reported involvement in the August 2022 murder-for-hire plot that claimed the life of Saviay’a “Lul Pabb” Robinson, a cousin of rapper Quando Rondo.
Prosecutors allege the hit was carried out as retaliation for the 2020 killing of Durk’s close friend and collaborator, King Von.
Durk’s defense attorney, Drew Findling, pushed back during the hearing, pointing out that a superseding indictment filed last week removed references to Durk’s lyrics that allegedly described the crime in question. “The government no longer contends that was accurate or at least viable testimony,” Findling argued.
However, prosecutors stood by the larger claim. “We stand by the allegation that the defendant did, in fact, commercialize his violence,” they said, referencing Durk’s music and public persona.
The use of rap lyrics as evidence continues to be a flashpoint in hip-hop legal cases, with Durk’s family arguing that his words are being unfairly weaponized against him.
Durk’s trial is currently slated to begin in October.
