Federal prosecutors have a new reason they want Lil Durk kept behind bars, and it comes down to cash.
According to a sealed submission flagged by journalist Michael Blackshire on Twitter, the government argues that the large volumes of money moving around Durk and his circle make it impossible to know how much he really has.
The filing claims the use of cash by the rapper and his affiliates underscores “the uncertainty of the scope of [his] and his associates’/intermediaries’ assets.”
The documents prosecutors submitted under seal reportedly relate to allegations that Durk has been involved with contraband while in custody.
As the Court has seen throughout this case, defendant Banks and his associates transact in large volumes of cash, all of which would likely be undetected and protected from any forfeiture action should defendant Banks violate any conditions of bond,” prosecutors reportedly wrote.
Their logic is simple enough. If the money backing a bond package can’t be traced, the threat of losing it doesn’t mean much.
The filing closes with a direct request. “For these reasons, and the reasons stated in the government’s opposition and argument at the November 4 hearing, the Court should deny defendant’s application and order him detained,” the government reportedly argued.
Durk, born Durk Banks, is the Chicago rapper behind the Only The Family collective and one of the biggest names to come out of the city’s drill scene.
As HotNewHipHop reports, he remains in custody as he awaits a racketeering-related trial following his acquittal in his murder-for-hire case. A bond approval would be the first real break he’s gotten in a long stretch.
That decision didn’t arrive at his latest bail hearing on November 4. Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald chose to take a few more days to review filings and arguments from both sides, leaving Durk’s team waiting through the weekend.
The defense sees the situation very differently. Attorney Brian Steel, who drew national attention representing Young Thug during the lengthy YSL RICO case in Atlanta, framed the bond fight as a question of basic fairness. “When I think of America, liberty is protected for trial,” Steel reportedly told the court.
Steel also pushed back on the timeline, arguing his client shouldn’t pay for scheduling problems he didn’t cause. “[Lil Durk’s] next trial is not until next August,” he reportedly said. “That is not [his] fault. That’s the fault of counsel, who couldn’t work on a date until next August.
Another year of waiting while imprisoned, that’s unimaginable. If it was up to [Durk], he would have a trial now.”
That leaves two very different pictures in front of Judge Fitzgerald. The government sees a defendant with untraceable money and alleged ties to contraband inside, while the defense sees a man facing nearly another year locked up before he even gets his day in court.
For fans, the wait is starting to feel familiar. Court resumes next week, and all eyes are on Fitzgerald to see which argument lands.
