In a shocking twist involving the hip-hop community, rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30 have been implicated in a bold armed kidnapping and robbery targeting fellow artist Gucci Mane. This event unfolded in Dallas, casting a dark shadow over the music industry.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the incident transpired when Gucci Mane, legally known as Radric Delantic Davis, was allegedly kidnapped and robbed by the duo and several accomplices. The DOJ revealed that a total of nine individuals were involved in the crime, which took place at a Dallas music studio. In a coordinated law enforcement operation, eight of these suspects were apprehended on Wednesday across Dallas, Memphis, and Nashville.
The allegations are rooted in a series of events from January 10th. On that day, three music industry professionals had traveled to Dallas for a meeting that was supposedly arranged by Lontrell Denell Williams Jr., known in the music world as Pooh Shiesty. The purpose of this meeting, as stated by the DOJ, was to negotiate the terms of his recording contract with one of the victims. Pooh Shiesty gained prominence through tracks like “Back in Blood” and was previously signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 label, though his career has been marred by legal troubles.
Once the men were settled in the studio, the DOJ reports that Williams Jr. and his eight accomplices, several of whom had come from Memphis, carried out what was described as an “armed takeover.” During this brazen act, Williams Jr. allegedly brandished an AK-style firearm and coerced one of the victims into signing a release from their recording contract under duress.
- Lontrell Williams. Jr. a/k/a “Pooh Shiesty”
- Lontrell Williams, Sr.
- Rodney Wright, Jr. a/k/a “Big30”
- Kedarius Waters
- Terrance Rodgers (no arrested yet, per DOJ)
- Damarian Gipson
- Demarcus Glover
- Kordae Johnson
- Darrion McDaniel
The DOJ said a complaint on Jan. 10, three music industry professionals traveled to Dallas for a meeting. Pooh Shiesty, whose real name Lontrell Denell Williams Jr., arranged the meeting, the DOJ said, reportedly to “discuss the terms of his recording contract with one of the victims.” Pooh Shiesty first rose to fame with songs like Back in Blood and was signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 label before run-ins with the law.
When the three men were in the music studio, Williams Jr. and his eight co-conspirators, several of whom traveled from Memphis, “executed an armed takeover,” according to the DOJ complaint. The DOJ said Williams Jr. pulled out an AK-style pistol and “forced one of the victims to sign a release from the recording contract at gunpoint.”
The remaining co-conspirators also pulled out guns and robbed the other victims of Rolex watches, jewelry, cash and other high-value items, according to the federal officials. One of the victims was choked during the robbery to the point of near unconsciousness, the DOJ said.
Rodney Lamont Wright Jr., a.k.a “Big30,” barricaded the door to prevent the victims from escaping.
WFAA sister station, WATN, reported Wednesday that the FBI executed a warrant at Pooh Shiesty’s Memphis-area home.
Williams Jr. was released from jail in October 2025 after serving three years for a gun charge in Miami, Fla., after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking. Williams Jr. was on home detention – where the terms dictated that he would not commit another crime or possess a firearm – at the time of this January robbery and kidnapping.
Williams Jr.’s father, Lontrell Williams Sr., is alleged to have helped plan and execute the kidnapping, according to the DOJ.
Listen to the full DOJ press conference here:
Within hours of this robbery and kidnapping, numerous suspects in this case posted some of the items stolen on social media, officials said.
As outlined in the complaint, some of the evidence establishing the defendants’ roles in the federal offense includes:
- Electronic monitoring data placing Williams Jr. at the offense location in violation of his home detention conditions;
- Cell phone records and license plate reader data corroborating the coordinated travel of multiple defendants from Memphis to Dallas;
- Rental car records confirming Williams Sr. rented a vehicle used by the group;
- Surveillance footage from the offense location, a nearby office supply store, and a hotel where several defendants stayed following the offense;
- Latent fingerprints recovered from the crime scene matching two defendants;
- Social media posts by defendants displaying what appears to be stolen property in the days following the offense; and
- Greyhound Bus records confirming the travel of multiple defendants from Dallas to Memphis the day after the offense.
If convicted, each defendant faces a sentence of up to life imprisonment, according to the DOJ.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
