Rapper Gucci Mane was allegedly robbed and kidnapped by two other rappers in Dallas, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
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According to Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA, the DOJ announced on April 2 that nine individuals, including rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30, allegedly kidnapped and robbed multiple victims at gunpoint at a Dallas music studio. The DOJ stated that eight of the nine suspects were arrested on April 1 in Dallas, Memphis, and Nashville.
The suspects are Lontrell Williams Jr. (also known as “Pooh Shiesty”), Lontrell Williams Sr., Rodney Wright Jr. (also known as “Big30”), Kedarius Waters, Terrance Rodgers, Damarian Gipson, Demarcus Glover, Kordae Johnson, and Darrion McDaniel. According to the DOJ, Terrance Rodgers has not yet been arrested.
According to a DOJ complaint filed on Jan. 10, three music industry professionals traveled to Dallas for a meeting arranged by Lontrell “Pooh Shiesty” Williams Jr. The DOJ stated that the meeting was reportedly to “discuss the terms of his recording contract with one of the victims.”
Pooh Shiesty initially gained fame with songs like “Back in Blood” and was signed to Gucci Mane’s (real name Radric Delantic Davis) 1017 label before his legal troubles began.
DOJ Describes the Incident as ‘An Armed Takeover’
The DOJ complaint alleges that once the three music industry professionals were in the studio, Williams Jr. and his eight co-conspirators, some of whom came from Memphis, “executed an armed takeover.” The DOJ reported that Williams Jr. drew an AK-style pistol and “forced one of the victims to sign a release from the recording contract at gunpoint.”
According to federal officials, the other co-conspirators also brandished firearms, robbing the victims of Rolex watches, jewelry, cash, and other valuable items. The DOJ added that one victim was choked to near unconsciousness during the robbery.
Rodney Lamont Wright Jr., also known as “Big30,” barricaded the door to prevent the victims’ escape.
WFAA’s sister station, WATN, reported yesterday that the FBI executed a warrant at Pooh Shiesty’s Memphis-area home.
Lontrell ‘Pooh Shiesty’ Williams Jr. Was on Home Detention at the Time of Gucci Mane’s Kidnapping
Williams Jr. was on home detention at the time of the January robbery and kidnapping. He had been released from jail in October 2023 after serving three years for a separate gun charge in Miami, Fla. In that case, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking. The terms of his home detention stipulated that he could not commit another crime or possess a firearm.
According to the DOJ, Williams Jr.’s father, Lontrell Williams Sr., allegedly helped plan and execute the kidnapping.
Officials said that within hours of the robbery and kidnapping, several suspects posted photos of the stolen items on social media.
According to the complaint, evidence against the defendants includes electronic monitoring data that placed Williams Jr. at the scene of the crime, violating his home detention. Cell phone records and license plate reader data also confirmed that multiple defendants traveled together from Memphis to Dallas.
Additional evidence includes rental car records for a vehicle used by the group, surveillance footage from the crime scene and other locations, and latent fingerprints matching two defendants. Officials also found social media posts showing what appeared to be stolen items and Greyhound Bus records confirming the defendants’ travel from Dallas to Memphis the day after the offense.
Each defendant faces up to life in prison if convicted, the DOJ said.