Lil Durk's Defense Claims Co-Defendant Offered Him as 'Big Fish' to Save Himself

Opening statements began Monday in Lil Durk's federal trial, with prosecutors alleging he orchestrated a deadly revenge plot. Defense attorney Marissa Goldberg argued that co-defendant Kavon Grant, initially identified as the one in charge, falsely implicated Durk to reduce his own sentence. Goldberg said Durk had nothing to do with the shooting and was not present.

The trial’s opening statements frame a stark contrast: prosecutors describe a calculated conspiracy using coded messages and a hired crew, while the defense insists the evidence points solely to Kavon Grant’s personal vendetta. Grant, who managed King Von and rushed him to the hospital after his 2020 killing, allegedly bought ski masks, hotel rooms, and vehicles himself. His guilty plea and cooperation with authorities are central to the defense’s claim that he fabricated Banks’s involvement to secure a deal. Banks, 33, faces five federal charges, including murder for hire, and has remained free on bond during pretrial proceedings.

The case stems from the 2022 shooting that killed Saviay’a Robinson and wounded Quando Rondo, a rival tied to King Von’s death. Banks’s legal team emphasizes his absence from the scene and his lack of connection to the alleged hit men, pointing instead to Grant’s unique trauma and motive. The jury must weigh Grant’s credibility as a cooperating witness against the prosecution’s assertion that Banks used his influence and resources to orchestrate the attack from afar.