Lil Durk may have walked away from one courtroom battle, but his legal troubles are not over yet. After being found not guilty in his murder-for-hire case, the rapper remains in federal custody as he faces a separate VICAR racketeering case.
Why is Lil Durk still in custody?
Lil Durk has won one major legal battle, but he is not going home yet. The rapper, whose real name is Durk Banks, was found not guilty on all five counts in his murder-for-hire case on September 11. However, the 34-year-old remains in custody as he still has to face another federal trial.
Lil Durk has been in custody since his arrest in October 2024.
Will the trial start on October 5?
A journalist has now shared a new update on the case. “A bond hearing for Lil Durk is scheduled for November 4th at 2:30 pm. The VICAR trial is likely to be after this bond date,” the journalist said in a post.
However, Ht.com couldn’t independently verify this.
The trial was earlier set for October 5, at the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, as per Complex.
Journalist Michael Blackshire said on X that no motion had been filed about the trial as of Thursday, September 17.
“As of this afternoon, we have not heard of any motion filed regarding the next Lil Durk federal trial on October 5th,” Blackshire reported. “Judge Fitzgerald and prosecutors spoke of the next trial date matter-of-factly right after the verdict last week. United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli mentioned the same trial date last week in a post.”
Then after few hours, in another post, Blackshire wrote: “Lil Durk’s attorneys requested for a Speedy Trial. That is why Judge Fitzgerald said the following last Friday, “Counsels are ordered to return at that time (October 5th), absent a stipulation or a successful motion to continue the trial pursuant to the Speedy Trial Act.””
Also read: Why is Lil Durk still in jail despite ‘not guilty’ verdict? Here’s what happens next
What is the VICAR racketeering case?
As per LA Mag, prosecutors added new charges to Lil Durk’s case in June 2026. These were Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Conspiracy to Commit Stalking. LA Mag says Murder in Aid of Racketeering is one of the most serious gang-related charges under federal law.
According to a 32-page federal indictment, Banks is accused of leading a violent criminal gang made up of associates from his rap label, One of the Family. Prosecutors say the group has been involved in robbery, murder and drug trafficking, as per Reuters.
The charges are linked to Lil Durk’s Chicago-based rap group Only The Family, or OTF, and its activities, as per LA Mag. VICAR stands for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering.
According to the publication, legal experts say it lets prosecutors argue that violent acts were done to keep status, position or standing within a group. It also lets them show his alleged conduct as part of a bigger criminal enterprise, not a one-off act of revenge.
DJ Akademiks explained in a video why Durk will not go free despite the acquittal. He said Durk “still faces a separate federal racketeering case tied to alleged incidents from 2019 and 2022,” a pop culture page noted.
Until the trial begins, Lil Durk will stay in federal custody.
