Rapper Gucci Mane was robbed in Dallas on January 10, 2026, in what federal prosecutors describe as an armed kidnapping orchestrated by fellow rapper Pooh Shiesty to force Gucci Mane to sign paperwork releasing Shiesty from his recording contract. Nine men, including Shiesty and rapper Big30, have been charged in federal court with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Trial is scheduled for February 22, 2027, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
What Prosecutors Say Happened at the Studio
Gucci Mane, whose legal name is Radric Davis, flew to Dallas with members of his team believing he was going to a legitimate business meeting about a contract dispute. According to the federal complaint, the meeting was arranged by Pooh Shiesty’s father, Lontrell Williams Sr., who rented the vehicle used to travel from Memphis and was captured on surveillance at a Staples store hours before the incident, where investigators believe the release documents were printed.1CBS News. Gucci Mane Kidnapped Robbed Dallas
At about 3:43 p.m., nine suspects entered a recording studio on Dallas Parkway in what prosecutors call a “coordinated armed takeover.” The victims were separated. Pooh Shiesty, whose legal name is Lontrell Williams Jr., allegedly took Gucci Mane into a recording room, pulled out what the complaint describes as a “black AK-style pistol,” and forced him to sign the prepared paperwork.2BBC. Gucci Mane Kidnapping Big30, whose legal name is Rodney Wright Jr., allegedly blocked the studio door with his body and recorded Gucci Mane verbally stating he was releasing Shiesty from the contract.3Courthouse News Service. Rappers Pooh Shiesty Big30 Charged in Music Studio Robbery Kidnapping of Gucci Mane
Others in the control room were held at gunpoint. One person was pushed onto a couch and robbed of jewelry and a wallet. Another was choked from behind to the point of near-unconsciousness and robbed of a Rolex watch, a Louis Vuitton bag, and AirPods. Prosecutors say the victims believed they were going to be killed before being ordered out of the building.2BBC. Gucci Mane Kidnapping Items allegedly taken from Gucci Mane personally included his wedding ring, watch, earrings, and cash. Prosecutors put the total value of stolen property at roughly $450,000.4Complex. Pooh Shiesty Gucci Mane 1017 Records Contract
The Contract That Allegedly Motivated the Attack
Pooh Shiesty signed a joint venture deal with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records and Atlantic Records in April 2020.5Billboard. Pooh Shiesty Gucci Mane Timeline Prosecutors allege that by early 2026, Shiesty wanted out. The paperwork he allegedly brought to the studio demanded immediate termination of the record deal, release from all contractual obligations, transfer of ownership of his masters and intellectual property, and transfer of 1017’s approval rights with Atlantic directly to Shiesty so he could negotiate new deals on his own.4Complex. Pooh Shiesty Gucci Mane 1017 Records Contract
Who Is Charged
A 32-page federal indictment returned on April 2, 2026, charged nine men with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Each faces up to life in federal prison if convicted.6U.S. Department of Justice. Nine Men Including Well Known Musical Artists Federally Charged Kidnapping Music Eight defendants were arrested in Dallas and Memphis on April 1. The ninth, Terrance Rodgers, was captured by the FBI’s violent crime squad at an Atlanta residence the following day.7CBS News. FBI Arrests Ninth Suspect in Gucci Mane Dallas Kidnapping Robbery Case
The nine defendants and their alleged roles:
- Lontrell Williams Jr. (Pooh Shiesty) is accused of organizing the attack, holding Gucci Mane at gunpoint, and forcing him to sign the release.
- Lontrell Williams Sr., Shiesty’s father, is accused of helping plan the attack, renting the vehicle, and arranging the meeting.
- Rodney Wright Jr. (Big30) allegedly blocked the studio door and recorded the coerced verbal release.
- Terrance Rodgers is tied to social media posts allegedly showing a stolen Rolex.
- Demarcus Glover is tied to social media posts allegedly showing him wearing stolen jewelry.
- Kedarius Waters, Damarian Gipson, Kordae Johnson, and Darrion McDaniel are named as co-conspirators alleged to have displayed firearms and robbed victims of cash and valuables.8U.S. Department of Justice. Nine Men Including Well Known Musical Artists Federally Charged Kidnapping Music
Evidence and Defense Challenges
Prosecutors cite a broad body of evidence: electronic monitoring data that placed Shiesty at the scene despite his home confinement on an earlier case; cell phone records; license plate reader data; rental car documentation tying Williams Sr. to the vehicle; surveillance footage from the studio area, an office supply store, and a hotel where the suspects stayed; fingerprints from red plastic cups at the studio that matched two defendants; and social media posts by several defendants in the days after the incident allegedly displaying stolen items.6U.S. Department of Justice. Nine Men Including Well Known Musical Artists Federally Charged Kidnapping Music
The defense has pushed back. At an April 2026 bond hearing, FBI Special Agent Pamela Hanson acknowledged under questioning that the bureau does not possess the alleged contract Gucci Mane was forced to sign, does not have any video recording of the incident, and had not yet interviewed any of the five alleged victims.9KERA News. Pooh Shiesty Denied Bond in Gucci Mane Kidnapping Case Attorney Bradford Cohen said at the time: “I’m just shocked that when they say there might be video out there — they don’t have it. There might be this mystery contract — they don’t have it.”10KERA News. Pooh Shiesty Gucci Mane Robbery Kidnapping Trial Moved
Who Is in Jail and Who Is Out
Pretrial custody has split the defendants. On April 8, 2026, a Dallas federal judge denied Pooh Shiesty’s bond request, citing his criminal history, and he remains in a Kaufman County jail.11Fox 13 Memphis. Pooh Shiesty to Remain in Custody After Judge Denies Bond
Big30 got a different result. On April 6, a federal magistrate judge in Memphis granted him a $100,000 secured bond requiring a $10,000 payment and placed him on house arrest. The judge called the offense “incredibly dangerous” but noted there was no clear evidence that Big30 held or used a firearm, and that his record consisted only of driving violations after a 2018 gun charge was expunged.12Action News 5. Memphis Rapper Gets $100K Bond Gucci Mane Kidnapping Case Prosecutors filed a motion to revoke that release, arguing the seriousness of the charges and the danger he posed warranted detention.13Action News 5. Prosecutors Argue Big30 Poses Flight Risk Lontrell Williams Sr. was released on bond and placed under home incarceration.
The Federal Charge
The defendants are charged under 18 U.S.C. § 1201, the federal kidnapping statute. The law applies when a person is unlawfully seized, confined, or carried away and held for ransom, reward, or otherwise, and when the offender travels in interstate commerce or uses the facilities of interstate commerce in furtherance of the offense. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for any term of years up to life. Conspiracy to kidnap carries the same maximum, provided at least one overt act occurs.14Cornell Law Institute. 18 U.S.C. § 1201 – Kidnapping Federal jurisdiction here rests on the alleged interstate travel from Memphis to Dallas along with the use of rental cars, cell phones, and other interstate facilities.
Pooh Shiesty’s Prior Federal Case
The Dallas charges came three months after Shiesty’s release from federal prison on an earlier conviction. In January 2022, he pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Florida to conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking.15U.S. Department of Justice. Rapper Pooh Shiesty Pleads Guilty Federal Conspiracy Charge U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore sentenced him in April 2022 to 63 months, below the government’s requested 97 months.16Commercial Appeal. Pooh Shiesty Prison Sentence Florida Firearms Case With credit for time served, he was released on October 6, 2025, and placed on home confinement as a condition of supervised release.17Action News 5. Memphis Rapper Pooh Shiesty No Longer Federal Custody Prosecutors in the Dallas case have emphasized that he was violating those terms when he traveled to Texas.6U.S. Department of Justice. Nine Men Including Well Known Musical Artists Federally Charged Kidnapping Music
Trial Date and Defense Position
The trial was originally set for July 6, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge David Godbey.18Complex. Pooh Shiesty Trial Gucci Mane Case In June 2026, the court granted a defense request to postpone, rescheduling for February 22, 2027. The defense cited case complexity: prosecutors had turned over 96 gigabytes of discovery, roughly 14,000 pages, with more records, audio, and video expected.10KERA News. Pooh Shiesty Gucci Mane Robbery Kidnapping Trial Moved
Pooh Shiesty, Lontrell Williams Sr., and Big30 have all pleaded not guilty.19Action News 5. Rapper Pooh Shiesty Trial Gucci Mane Kidnapping Delayed Shiesty’s lead attorney, John Helms, who joined the defense in April 2026, has publicly framed the case around what he calls the “volatile nature” of the music business. “The government tries to characterize this as a dispute over money,” Helms said, “but in this business, things are very often not what they seem, and people’s motivations are very often not what they seem.”20BET. Pooh Shiesty New Lawyer Says Gucci Mane Robbery Case More Complicated Than It Looks
Gucci Mane’s Response
Gucci Mane addressed the case in music. On April 10, 2026, he released a diss track titled “Crash Dummy” with lines including “I thought it was a business meeting, but it was a set-up” and “After all that, boy, you still signed to me,” a reference to the alleged forced release apparently not holding. Another lyric, “You learn from your daddy, so I guess that it’s hereditary,” points to the alleged involvement of Shiesty’s father.21AOL News. Gucci Mane Trolls Pooh Shiesty Attorney Cohen dismissed the track’s relevance, saying “a case is built on evidence and testimony and not on what someone says in record.”