Tag

Murder For Hire

All articles tagged with #murder for hire

world-news26 days ago•22 min saved

US Charges Five with Orchestrating $40,000 Assassination Plot Against Kremlin Critic in DC

The US Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment charging five individuals with conspiring to commit murder for hire and finance terrorism on behalf of Russian intelligence services. The plot, which targeted a Kremlin critic living in Washington, DC, involved recruiting a Venezuelan citizen to surveil the target and offering him $40,000 to carry out the assassination. Although the recruit completed the surveillance, he refused to kill the target, leading the network to seek other operatives in the US and Mexico. Prosecutors allege this was part of a broader global network active since 2024 that also targeted dissidents in Lithuania and planned sabotage attacks against infrastructure in countries supporting Ukraine. All five defendants remain at large, and Moscow has denied involvement.

via New York Post|

#foreign-espionage #murder-for-hire #russian-intelligence

world1 month ago•7 min saved

Lil Durk cleared in federal murder-for-hire case, but faces separate racketeering trial

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk (Durk Banks) was acquitted of all five federal murder-for-hire charges in a Los Angeles case linked to a daytime shooting that killed the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo; prosecutors argued he plotted to kill the target in retaliation for King Von's death, but jurors cleared him. He still faces a separate racketeering-murder and firearms trial scheduled for October, while two co-defendants were convicted of stalking-related charges in the same case.

via BBC|

#acquitted #durk-banks #federal-trial

crime1 month ago•7 min saved

Lil Durk acquitted in L.A. murder-for-hire case, racketeering trial looms

A federal jury in downtown Los Angeles acquitted rapper Lil Durk (Durk Banks) of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder-for-hire in the 2022 shooting that killed Quando Rondo’s cousin near the Beverly Center. Prosecutors had argued he directed shooters, but two co-defendants were convicted on related charges, while Durk remains in custody and faces a separate racketeering trial set for Oct. 5.

via Los Angeles Times|

#crime #lil-durk #los-angeles

world-news1 month ago•34 min saved

Verdict Expected as Lil Durk Murder-for-Hire Trial Heads Into Day 3

Jury deliberations in rapper Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire case have entered Day 3 in a Los Angeles court, with experts signaling a verdict could come today. Jurors previously sent notes seeking clarification on two conspiracy-to-stalk counts and the definition of “intent,” amid Durk’s not-guilty plea and defense claims that he wasn’t involved (blaming a former assistant). The charges include murder-for-hire-related counts and firearms offenses, making the ruling highly consequential.

via hindustantimes.com|

#jury-deliberation #lil-durk #los-angeles

music1 month ago•21 min saved

Lil Durk Trial: Prosecutors Claim Revenge Plot, Defense Emphasizes 'Reasonable Doubt' Tsunami

Prosecutors argued that Lil Durk (Durk Banks) orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot against Quando Rondo in retaliation for King Von’s death, citing flights, hotel stays, and text messages as evidence, with three cooperating witnesses testifying after pleading guilty. The defense countered that the case rests on unreliable witnesses and a pervasive 'tsunami of reasonable doubt,' arguing Durk was not on the ground and labeling the cooperating witnesses as snitches. After two weeks of testimony, jurors were sent home to deliberate, with a potential life sentence hanging over Banks if convicted.

via rollingstone.com|

#closing-arguments #king-von #lil-durk

crime1 month ago•11 min saved

Durk Banks Defense Rests, Probing Prosecutors With New Witnesses in Federal Murder-for-Hire Trial

With both sides done presenting, Lil Durk’s federal murder-for-hire case moved toward closing arguments after the defense called witnesses to counter cooperating witnesses and offer alternative explanations, including testimony about Banks’s personal relationships and the roles of his associates. The lineup included family, friends, a talent agent, a former girlfriend and wife of an alleged co-conspirator, and a sound engineer, all aimed at undermining the prosecution’s narrative. The defense contends there’s no solid link between Durk Banks and a murder plot, and closing arguments are set for Sept. 8.

via LAmag|

#crime #durk-banks #federal-trial

crime1 month ago•19 min saved

Defense Witnesses Cast Doubt as Lil Durk Murder-for-Hire Trial Heads to Closing

With both sides resting, the Lil Durk murder-for-hire trial moved toward closing arguments after defense witnesses — including the wife of a key cooperating witness and a former partner of King Von — challenged the government’s version of events surrounding the 2022 attack linked to Quando Rondo.

via Rolling Stone|

#crime #king-von #lil-durk

crime1 month ago•8 min saved

Durk’s Los Angeles Murder-for-Hire Trial Becomes West Coast Spectacle

In a Los Angeles federal court, rapper Lil Durk faces a murder-for-hire case tied to a revenge plot stemming from King Von’s death. Prosecutors say Durk used his wealth to hire hit men to kill Saviaya Robinson, while the defense argues a former assistant, Kavon Grant, acted independently and that Durk wasn’t the mastermind. The sprawling case spans multiple states with cooperating witnesses, and the high-profile, media-saturated courtroom atmosphere has turned proceedings into a spectacle with celebrities, line sitters, and fans watching closely.

via Los Angeles Times|

#crime #kavon-grant #king-von

courts-and-crime1 month ago•21 min saved

Durk Murder-for-Hire Trial Heats Up as Shooter Testifies About Bounty

In Los Angeles, rapper Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire trial intensified as witness Kasey “OTF Jam” Hester testified about a bounty on Quando Rondo and described how he and others were recruited to kill him after the King Von confrontation. Jurors heard a jail-call recording and Hester’s earlier statements, which prosecutors say show a coordinated plot, while the defense argues he cooperated to avoid prison and that there is no direct evidence Durk paid for the killing. The government relies on multiple cooperating witnesses; Durk Banks’s defense contends the charges rely on manipulated testimonies and disputed meetings, with other defendants having already pleaded guilty.

via Rolling Stone|

#court-trial #courts-and-crime #kasey-hester

crime1 month ago•6 min saved

Cooperating Witness Pins Lil Durk in Murder-For-Hire Plot

Kacey “OTF Jam” Hester, a cooperating witness in a federal murder-for-hire case, testified that Lil Durk was involved in a plot to kill Quando Rondo, naming Durk and others in connection with the August 2022 attack that killed Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson. Hester, who has pleaded guilty, is used by prosecutors to argue that Durk financed or ordered retaliation. Durk’s team contends Hester is unreliable and that other co-defendants will testify; the trial in Los Angeles continues as both sides challenge Jam’s credibility and narrative.

via HotNewHipHop|

#cooperating-witness #crime #lil-durk

crime1 month ago•9 min saved

OTF Jam Testimony Highlights Plot Against Quando Rondo in Lil Durk Trial

In the murder-for-hire trial of rapper Lil Durk (Durk Banks), jurors heard that flight bookings for OTF were coordinated by Jason Smith, a key detail prosecutors use to connect the group to alleged planning; FBI agent Farmby presented evidence including an Instagram post from King Von and a never-released 'Red Man' video depicting an attempted shooting linked to Quando Rondo's death. Cross-examination raised questions about the context and intent of messages and videos, while OTF Jam (Kacey Hester) described roles within the Black Disciples, the Aug. 18, 2022 San Diego-LA trip, and a plan to kill Rondo that was ultimately aborted; the trial continues.

via LAmag|

#crime #king-von #lil-durk

crime1 month ago•19 min saved

Lil Durk Trial: Unreleased 'Redman' Video Sparks Art Debate Over Motive

Jurors in Lil Durk's Los Angeles murder-for-hire trial watched an unreleased video titled 'Redman,' which prosecutors say reflects a revenge motive tied to King Von’s death; defense lawyer Brian Steel argued it’s art and expression from a grieving artist, while prosecutors allege Durk Banks hired gunmen to stalk and shoot Quando Rondo, supported by witness testimony and coded lyrics; the trial is expected to last about three weeks.

via Rolling Stone|

#crime #king-von #lil-durk

crime1 month ago•2 min saved

Custody feud inspires murder-for-hire conviction in Florida road killing

A Florida jury convicted Mario Fernandez Saldana of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder in the 2022 killing of Microsoft design manager Jared Bridegan on a Jacksonville Beach road, in a plot tied to a bitter child-custody dispute with his ex-wife Shanna Gardner; a former tenant, Henry Tenon, carried out the shooting and was paid after the fact, with DNA on the tire rim linking him to the crime. Gardner's trial is set for September and Tenon faces trial next year.

via NBC News|

#crime #florida #jared-bridegan

crime1 month ago•200 min saved

Custody feud linked murder-for-hire ends in Florida conviction in Microsoft manager's road slaying

A Florida jury convicted Mario Fernandez Saldana, 38, of first-degree murder and solicitation of murder in the 2022 killing of Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft design manager, on a Jacksonville Beach road. Prosecutors said the murder was the culmination of a long-running child-custody dispute with Bridegan's ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and involved a hired gunman who received $10,000 in payments. Bridegan was shot after stopping to remove a tire; his children were in the car. Gardner’s trial is upcoming, while the gunman Henry Tenon had testified before backing out of a deal.

via CNN|

#bridegan #crime #florida

crime1 month ago•6 min saved

Lil Durk on Trial in LA Over Murder-for-Hire Revenge Plot Targeting Quando Rondo

Prosecutors in Los Angeles opened the murder-for-hire trial of Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk (Durk Banks), alleging he orchestrated a revenge plot after the death of King Von to have Quando Rondo killed; a botched ambush instead killed Rondo’s cousin Saviay’a Robinson. Banks’ defense blames his former assistant Kavon Grant for logistics and says Banks was not involved; three co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and will testify. Banks, 33, denies charges of stalking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, while prosecutors say his wealth funded the scheme and he used coded language to direct killings. The case highlights the debate over rap lyrics and coded threats as evidence.

via Los Angeles Times|

#crime #lil-durk #los-angeles