Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have signaled that they intend to bring new charges — including Murder in Aid of Racketeering and conspiracy to commit stalking — against Chicago rapper Lil Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, in connection with the 2022 plot to kill rival artist Quando Rondo. The disclosure came in a June 3, 2026 filing opposing a co-defendant’s bid for pretrial release, and it raises the stakes in an already serious federal murder-for-hire case headed toward an August 2026 trial.

At L & L Law Group, PLLC, we follow high-profile federal prosecutions closely because they illustrate how the most powerful tools in the government’s arsenal — racketeering statutes, murder-for-hire counts, and conspiracy theories — actually work. While this case is unfolding under federal law in California, the same legal machinery reaches into Texas every day. Here is how charges like these would be approached if a defendant faced them in Frisco, Dallas, or anywhere in the DFW area.

What the government is reportedly alleging

According to reporting on the federal filings, prosecutors allege that Banks helped orchestrate a retaliatory hit in which gunmen tracked the intended target over roughly a day before opening fire at a Los Angeles-area location, missing him but killing his cousin. The government has framed the underlying organization as a criminal enterprise and now intends, per the filing, to add a count of Murder in Aid of Racketeering. Banks has pleaded not guilty, and these reported new charges have not yet been formally filed. Nothing here should be read as a prediction about the outcome of his case — he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The federal framework: RICO and “murder in aid of racketeering”

“Murder in Aid of Racketeering” is a federal charge under 18 U.S.C. § 1959 (often called VICAR — Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering). It allows the government to prosecute a murder, attempted murder, or assault when it is committed to gain entrance to, or to maintain or increase position in, a racketeering enterprise. It typically travels alongside the broader RICO statute (18 U.S.C. § 1962), which targets patterns of criminal activity conducted through an “enterprise.” A VICAR murder conviction can carry penalties up to life imprisonment or, in some circumstances, death.

What makes these charges formidable is that the government does not have to prove a defendant personally pulled a trigger. Under conspiracy and aiding-and-abetting theories, prosecutors can seek to hold a person responsible for directing, financing, or facilitating violence carried out by others within the enterprise.

How Texas law handles the same conduct

Texas does not have a state RICO statute by that name, but it has a close functional equivalent: Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity under Texas Penal Code § 71.02. That statute makes it a crime to commit (or conspire to commit) certain enumerated offenses — including murder — as a member of a “criminal street gang” or with intent to establish, maintain, or participate in a combination. A conviction is generally punished one category higher than the underlying offense, which can dramatically increase exposure.

The killing itself would be charged under Texas’s homicide statutes. A planned, paid, or directed killing can rise to capital murder under Texas Penal Code § 19.03 — specifically, murder committed for remuneration or the promise of remuneration, or employing another to commit murder for remuneration. Capital murder in Texas carries only two possible sentences: life without parole, or death. Even where the deceased was not the intended target, Texas’s transferred-intent doctrine (Penal Code § 6.04) can allow the intent aimed at one person to attach to the actual victim.

Conspiracy and party liability in Texas

Like the federal system, Texas allows the State to prosecute people who never personally commit the violent act. Under the law of parties (Penal Code §§ 7.01–7.02), a person can be criminally responsible for an offense committed by another if they solicit, encourage, direct, aid, or attempt to aid the commission of the crime. Texas also recognizes criminal conspiracy (Penal Code § 15.02), which criminalizes an agreement to commit a felony plus an overt act in furtherance. These doctrines mean that, in Texas as in federal court, alleged organizers can face the same grave exposure as the alleged shooters.

Federal vs. state prosecution in DFW

A case like this could be brought federally in the Northern District of Texas (which includes Dallas, Fort Worth, and the Frisco area) or in Texas state court, and sometimes both sovereigns have jurisdiction. Federal cases often involve longer investigations, grand juries, cooperating witnesses, wiretaps, and the federal Sentencing Guidelines. State cases proceed through Texas district courts and, for capital allegations, a separate punishment phase. The strategic differences — bond practice, discovery, plea posture, and sentencing structure — are significant, which is why early, experienced defense counsel matters so much.

Why these cases demand a serious defense

Racketeering and murder-for-hire prosecutions are built on volumes of evidence: social media, phone records, location data, jailhouse communications, and cooperating co-defendants. A strong defense scrutinizes how that evidence was gathered, challenges the existence and scope of the alleged “enterprise,” tests the reliability of cooperators, and protects the client’s constitutional rights at every stage — from search-and-seizure issues to the right to confront witnesses.

Frequently asked questions

Is “engaging in organized criminal activity” the Texas version of RICO? It is the closest functional analogue. Texas Penal Code § 71.02 lets the State enhance and aggregate liability for offenses committed as part of a combination or criminal street gang, similar to how federal RICO targets patterns of enterprise crime.

Can someone be charged with murder in Texas if they did not fire the shot? Yes. Under the law of parties and conspiracy statutes, a person who solicits, directs, finances, or aids a killing can face the same charge as the person who carried it out.

What is capital murder for remuneration? Under Texas Penal Code § 19.03, murder committed for payment — or hiring someone else to kill for payment — is capital murder, punishable by life without parole or death.

What if the wrong person was killed? Texas’s transferred-intent rule (Penal Code § 6.04) can attach the intent directed at the intended target to the person actually killed.

How L & L Law Group can help

If you or someone you love is facing serious felony allegations — whether a state charge in a Collin County or Dallas County court or a federal indictment in the Northern District of Texas — the choices made in the first days can shape everything that follows. The attorneys at L & L Law Group, PLLC defend clients against violent-crime, organized-crime, and federal charges throughout Frisco and the greater DFW area. We build evidence-driven defenses, protect your constitutional rights, and stand with you at every stage of the process. Call us at (972) 370-5060 for a confidential consultation.