Lil Durk Seeks to Separate New Racketeering Charges Ahead of August Trial

Rapper Lil Durk’s defense team filed a motion in Los Angeles federal court demanding that the racketeering and related counts added in a third superseding indictment be severed from the original Los Angeles murder‑for‑hire case, or that the entire new indictment be dismissed. The new indictment, filed in early June, expands the prosecution’s theory to include a multi‑state criminal enterprise and introduces charges tied to a 2022 Beverly Hills gas‑station shooting, a 2022 Chicago murder, and a 2019 attempted murder in Atlanta.

Durk’s attorneys argue the late addition of these “VICAR” (Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering) counts would force a delay of the trial set for August 20, violating his Sixth‑Amendment right to a speedy trial after more than 21 months in custody. They request a hearing on July 27 before Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald to have the new counts tried separately or the superseding indictment thrown out.

If the court refuses to split the charges, Durk faces a combined trial that could carry life‑sentence penalties, while his lawyers maintain the expanded case rests on weak, previously withheld evidence.