Lil Durk has pleaded not guilty to charges that he organized a murder-for-hire plot that led to the shooting death of the cousin of rapper Quando Rondo in Los Angeles two years ago. The Grammy-winning Chicago rapper entered his plea in court on Thursday (November 14), and he was then sent to a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles. The 32-year-old musician, whose real name is Durk Banks, has received a tentative trial date of January 7, 2025, according to court records. Prosecutors claim that there is a “serious risk defendant will flee,” so they have asked that Banks be held until trial. Federal authorities claim Banks was trying to board a private jet destined for Italy when he was arrested in Miami last month. “Mr. Banks is charged with orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. If convicted as charged, Banks is facing up to life in federal prison. (Rolling Stone)