Federal prosecutors have revealed that the cellphone of rapper Lil Durk, seized during a 2021 home invasion investigation, contains what they describe as “damaging” evidence—including messages asking for the address of Timothy “Lil Tim” Leeks, the man convicted of killing King Von, as well as screenshots of a Quando Rondo concert poster and a social media post documenting that Rondo had been shot.
The disclosure came in a court filing opposing Lil Durk’s motion to suppress the evidence, which his legal team argues was obtained illegally. The government, however, maintains that the phone was lawfully seized and searched under multiple warrants, and that the material found on it is highly relevant to the federal murder-for-hire and racketeering case against the rapper, whose real name is Durk Banks.
According to the government’s response, the phone was taken from Durk’s home in Braselton, Georgia, in July 2021, after a shootout that began when several individuals broke into his residence. Durk and his girlfriend, India Cox, both fired weapons during the incident. No one was injured, but law enforcement recovered multiple guns and shell casings.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation obtained a search warrant for the home, which authorized the seizure of Durk’s phone. A second warrant was later obtained specifically to search the phone’s contents. That forensic extraction, the government says, revealed text messages in which Durk sought the address of Lil Tim, who was on house arrest after being released on bond.
“The defendant’s phone contained screenshots of messages discussing Timothy Leeks being released on bond and requesting the address of his residence while under house arrest,” the filing states. It also includes a screenshot of a 2021 concert poster advertising a performance by Quando Rondo, and a screenshot of a May 3, 2023 social media post documenting that Rondo had been shot.
Prosecutors argue that this evidence shows Durk was tracking his rivals—specifically Quando Rondo and his associates—and that the phone was lawfully in the government’s possession from the start. They contend that Durk’s admission to firing his gun during the home invasion gave police probable cause to believe he had committed reckless conduct under Georgia law, justifying the initial seizure.
Durk’s legal team, led by prominent attorney Drew Findling, has argued that the phone was taken without proper legal basis because Durk was a victim of the home invasion. They claim that the subsequent search warrants were tainted by the initial illegal seizure, and that the federal government’s use of the evidence years later violates the “fruit of the poisonous tree” doctrine.
But the government counters that the Georgia investigators acted in good faith, obtaining multiple warrants before searching the phone. They note that the FBI was not involved in the initial seizure and only obtained a federal warrant after receiving the digital extraction from the GBI in July 2026.
“The facts before the court simply do not warrant the drastic and extreme remedy of suppression,” the filing reads. “Georgia investigators acted in good faith obtaining multiple warrants to seize and search the defendant’s phone to investigate a shootout that occurred in a residential neighborhood.”
The case has drawn intense attention because it involves allegations that Durk ordered a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of a rival gang member. Prosecutors have indicated they plan to introduce gang expert testimony and use Durk’s own lyrics as evidence of his intent.
Legal analysts say the government’s strategy is to show that Durk was actively monitoring his enemies and seeking their locations, which they argue supports the charge that he directed a violent conspiracy from behind bars.
“This is a dirty game, but it’s a legal game,” one commentator noted, referencing the procedural battles. “The feds are saying, ‘We had every right to go into that phone, and this is what we found.’”
The phone evidence includes not only the messages about Lil Tim and Quando Rondo, but also a forensic extraction that could recover deleted data. Experts say that once a phone is extracted, even permanently deleted files can be retrieved.
Durk’s trial is expected to be one of the most significant in hip‑hop history, carrying potential life sentences if he is convicted. The rapper has maintained his innocence and has indicated he wants to go to trial rather than accept a plea deal.
The judge has not yet ruled on the motion to suppress. A hearing is expected in the coming weeks, where both sides will argue over the legality of the phone’s seizure and search.
Meanwhile, the public and the music industry are watching closely, as the case touches on issues of police overreach, the use of rap lyrics as evidence, and the boundaries of lawful search and seizure.
Prosecutors are also expected to call a gang expert to explain terms like “get back” and to link Durk’s social media activity to the alleged conspiracy. The government’s filing already references such language, arguing that it shows a clear intent to retaliate.
“The defendant’s own words and actions—captured on his phone—demonstrate his involvement in a violent enterprise,” the filing states.
Durk’s legal team has not yet issued a public statement on the latest filing, but sources close to the rapper say they are confident the evidence will be suppressed.
The case is United States v. Durk Banks, filed in the Central District of California.
