Key Takeaways
- Federal prosecutors urged the court to uphold Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey’s stalking convictions, arguing their multi-day plot to kill Quando Rondo clearly falls under the federal stalking statute.
- Defense attorneys sought acquittals or a new trial, claiming prosecutors failed to prove a course of conduct, emotional distress, or that the defendants also stalked Quando Rondo and his cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson, who died in the 2022 shooting.
- A jury acquitted Lil Durk on all five counts and cleared Wilson and Lindsey of murder-for-hire charges, but convicted both men on three stalking counts.
Federal prosecutors want to make sure Lil Durk’s co-defendants’ stalking convictions are upheld after their attorneys filed motions for a judgment of acquittal, challenging the convictions.
In court documents reviewed by Complex, federal prosecutors wrote that defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey were convicted of multiple felony counts related to stalking.
“The evidence at trial proved defendants and their conspirators traveled to California to kill [Tyquian] Bowman [Quando Rondo],” the documents read. “Defendants Wilson and Lindsey filed post-trial motions that primarily argue their convictions should be reversed or a new trial should be granted.”
Wilson and Lindsey’s attorneys argued that the convictions should be acquitted or a new trial should be granted because “the stalking victims did not know all of the actions the defendants took to hunt and kill the victim, and thus the defendants claim the government did not prove a ‘course of conduct’ within the meaning of the stalking statute.” They also argued that the government failed to prove that Quando Rondo Saviay’a ‘Lul Pab’ Robinson, who was fatally shot in Los Angeles in August, 2022, “feared for their lives and/or suffered substantial emotional distress.” Additionally, they alleged the evidence wasn’t sufficient to prove they were stalking Saviay’a Robinson.
Federal prosecutors filed a response, arguing that the arguments listed in the motions are “meritless for multiple reasons.” Prosecutors wrote that the argument that their “premeditated… stalking and murder scheme is not covered by the federal stalking statute” actually “ignores the plain text of the statute.” They added that the “multi-day stalking and murder scheme that caused Mr. Robinson’s death and severe emotional distress to Bowman clearly falls within the scope of the statute.”
They also argued against their claims that the evidence failed to provide proof about the impact they had on Quando Rondo and his cousin, who was fatally shot at a gas station in Los Angeles in an attack believed to be targeting Quando Rondo. Prosecutors pointed to evidence including a 911 call, which they said shows the "emotional impact of the shooting.” Thirdly, they suggested that “a reasonable jury could—and did—find that the conspirators intended to stalk Mr. Robinson in addition to Bowman.”
When the verdict in the trial was reached on Sept. 11, Lil Durk was acquitted on all five counts, while co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey were found not guilty of murder-for-hire charges, but guilty of three stalking counts.
Durk is scheduled to attend a bond hearing on Nov. 4, and will be in court again next year for his trial on murder-in-aid-of-racketeering and firearms charges.
