A federal jury has returned a not guilty verdict in the
Despite the acquittal on these specific charges, the rapper’s legal challenges are far from over. Banks remains in federal custody as he prepares to face a separate, pending racketeering trial. Legal experts and prosecutors suggest that his release is unlikely in the immediate future due to the ongoing nature of these additional federal allegations.
The Racketeering Case and Continued Detention
The path to potential freedom for Banks is complicated by the second federal case, in which he is accused of operating a criminal enterprise linked to drug trafficking and acts of violence. During the summer, federal prosecutors unsuccessfully attempted to consolidate the murder-for-hire and racketeering cases into a single trial. With the first trial now concluded, the government is expected to argue for his continued detention based on the remaining charges.
Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and current president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, noted that the government will almost certainly seek to keep the defendant in custody. According to Rahmani, federal detention decisions typically hinge on whether a defendant is deemed a flight risk or a danger to the community, rather than solely on the outcome of a single trial. Prosecutors have previously alleged that Banks attempted to intimidate witnesses and posed a flight risk when he was arrested in October 2024 while allegedly attempting to leave the country.
Background of the Murder-for-Hire Allegations
The trial focused on an incident occurring on August 19, 2022, near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. Prosecutors alleged that Banks dispatched a group from Chicago to California to target rapper Tyquian Bowman, known as Quando Rondo. The government claimed the plot was an act of revenge for the 2020 killing of Dayvon Bennett, a rapper and associate of Banks.
During the proceedings, Assistant US Attorney Daniel Weiner characterized the case as a matter of murder rather than music, alleging that Banks had become consumed by a desire for retribution. The defense countered these claims by pointing to the actions of the rapper’s former assistant, Kavon Grant. Grant, who entered into a plea agreement with the government, served as a key witness against Banks. Throughout the trial, Banks maintained his innocence, entering pleas of not guilty to charges of conspiracy, stalking, and murder-for-hire.
