Gucci Mane (real name Radric Delantic Davis) was allegedly robbed and kidnapped by Pooh Shiesty (real name Lontrell Williams, Jr.) and Big30 (real name Rodney Lamont Wright Jr.).
The 46-year-old “I Get the Bag” rapper was allegedly robbed and kidnapped at gunpoint by the two 26-year-old rappers among other individuals at a recording studio in Dallas, Texas.
The news was reported in a press conference held by the Department of Justice.
Keep reading to find out more…
Nine people, including the rappers, kidnapped and robbed numerous people, and eight of those suspects were arrested Wednesday (April 1), according to the press conference.
A complaint issued in January claimed that three music industry professionals went to Dallas for a meeting arranged by Pooh Shiesty, signed to Gucci‘s 1017 label in 2017, to “discuss the terms of his recording contract with one of the victims.”
While in the studio, Pooh Shiesty and eight others “executed an armed takeover,” per the DOJ complaint, which says the rapper used a AK-style pistol and “forced one of the victims to sign a release from the recording contract at gunpoint.”
The other individuals reportedly pulled out guns and robbed the other victims of “Rolex watches, jewelry, cash and other high-value items,” according to the federal officials, while one person was also choked nearly unconscious.
Big30 reportedly barricaded the door to prevent them from leaving.
Police have since raided Pooh Shiesty‘s home in Memphis, Tenn., per NBC DFW.
Pooh Shiesty, who was on home detention during the alleged kidnapping, was released from jail last October after serving three years for a gun charge, after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking. His father Lontrell Williams Sr. allegedly helped plan the attack, per the DOJ.
As for penalties, sentencing “could range from zero to life imprisonment, depending on the individual’s criminal history and other factors,” the DOJ said in the press conference.
“One defendant committing this crime while on home confinement would be considered an aggravating factor.”
Suspects in the case posted some of the items stolen on social media, according to the DOJ. Watch the press conference above.
Pooh Shiesty rose to fame with his breakout hit “Back in Blood” in 2020 and signed to Gucci Mane‘s 1017 label, while Big30 is known for various collaborations in the rap scene, including 2021′s “Neighbors” with Pooh Shiesty.
Read the transcript inside…
I’m Ryan Rabel. I’m the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Thank you for coming.
This week, nine individuals, including well-known musical artists, kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint numerous victims at a music studio in Dallas, Texas. Eight of the nine were arrested yesterday in Dallas, Memphis, and Nashville.
These individuals who are charged and arrested include Lantrell Williams Jr., also known as Pooh Shiesty; Lantrell Williams Sr.; Rodney Wright Jr., also known as Big30; Kadarius Waters; Demarion Gibson; DeMarcus Glover; Corday Johnson; Darian McDaniel; and Terrence Rodgers, who has not been arrested yet but will be soon.
The complaint alleges that on January 10th of this year, three music industry professionals traveled to Dallas for a scheduled business meeting. Lantrell Williams Jr. arranged this meeting purportedly to discuss the terms of his recording contract with one of the victims.
As alleged, once these three men were inside the recording studio, Williams Jr. and eight co-conspirators, several of whom traveled from Memphis, Tennessee, executed a coordinated armed takeover. As alleged, Williams Jr. produced an AK-style pistol and forced one of the victims to sign a release from the recording contract at gunpoint.
The remaining conspirators displayed firearms and robbed the other victims of Rolex watches, jewelry, cash, and other high-value items.
One of the victims was actually choked by one of the defendants to the point of near unconsciousness. Defendant Wright barricaded the studio door with his body to prevent the victims from escaping.
The ringleader of the conspiracy, Lantrell Williams Jr., was on home confinement at the time of the offense, as alleged for a prior firearms conspiracy charge and conviction out of the Southern District of Florida. Towards the end of his prison sentence, he had been granted home detention.
Part of the terms of his home detention were that he would not commit another federal offense or possess a firearm. His father, Lantrell Williams Sr., is alleged to have helped plan and execute the federal kidnapping as charged in the complaint.
And as described further in the complaint, within hours of leaving the Dallas studio, a number of the defendants were on social media displaying some of the items that appeared to be the jewelry that had been robbed from the victims.
The charging document outlines some of the evidence establishing the defendants’ roles in the federal offense. This includes electronic monitoring data placing Williams Jr. at the offense location, which would put him in violation of his home detention conditions.
Cell phone records and license plate reader data corroborate the coordinated travel of multiple defendants from Memphis, Tennessee, to Dallas. Rental car records confirm Williams Sr. rented a vehicle that was used by the group.
There is also surveillance footage from the offense location, a nearby office supply store, and a hotel where several of the defendants stayed following the offense. Fingerprint evidence was recovered from the crime scene matching at least two of the defendants.
Social media posts by defendants display what appears to be stolen property just days following the offense. Greyhound bus records confirm the travel of multiple defendants from Dallas to Memphis the day after the offense.
In this case, individuals came to Dallas to conduct legitimate business and were met with firearms and violence, as alleged in the charging document.
This case should serve as a warning to others who believe that using violence and intimidation tactics to rob others in our community is a viable way to conduct business. I am here to say that it is not, and that if you choose to do this, we will, together with our law enforcement partners here and in the Northern District of Texas, bring you swiftly to justice.
I want to thank the FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force, the FBI’s Memphis Resident Agency and Nashville Field Office, the Memphis Safe Task Force, the Dallas Police Department, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, Michael Dunavant, and ASA Greg Wagner, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, my colleague Jay Combs, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, including Braden Buszek, for their outstanding contributions in this multi-jurisdictional investigation and prosecution.
I would also like to highlight the extraordinary work of our Assistant U.S. Attorneys. None of this happens without them, and I am proud to say we have the best in the country. That includes Robert Withers, Claire Demur, and my violent crime chief Jeremy Fugate.
This case underscores the importance of standing up for crime victims, no matter who they are or where they come from, and the incredible collaborative partnerships we have not only in the Northern District of Texas but across the country.
We are all working together to make our country safer.
Thank you for being here today. I will answer questions after my colleague speaks. I will now turn it over to Jeremy Wright, the FBI Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge.
Good morning. My name is Jeremy Wright, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for FBI Dallas.
As stated, we are here today to announce the arrest of several individuals in the Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee areas, as well as one here in Frisco, Texas. These arrests are the result of a violent kidnapping of three individuals in the Dallas area.
The majority of those arrested traveled from Memphis to Dallas to commit that offense.
Our office collaborated with multiple law enforcement agencies and FBI offices to carry out this investigation, which ultimately led to these arrests.
I would like to thank the Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force, Dallas Police Department, Memphis Safe Task Force, Memphis Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance.
Violent crime remains a top priority for the FBI. We dedicated significant resources from Dallas, Nashville, Little Rock, Birmingham, and Atlanta FBI offices to investigate and arrest these individuals.
We remain committed to investigating violent crimes like these. No matter who you are, we will work every day alongside our partners to make our communities safer.
Thank you. We will now take questions.
Yes, sir.
It may be in the release you are sending, but can you be more specific about the victims?
It will be in the complaint, and we are happy to provide that. It is now unsealed. The incident occurred at a music studio off Dallas Parkway in Dallas, Texas. As far as the victims, we will not be identifying them at this time.
Can you describe the injuries?
One of the victims had visible abrasions on the neck and arm. There is a photograph included in the complaint.
You mentioned one suspect is still being sought.
Yes. One individual has been charged but has not yet made an initial appearance. Agents are actively working to locate and bring that person into custody.
Are you concerned going public could hinder that effort?
The complaint is already unsealed, and several defendants have had initial appearances. The information is already public. We are confident agents will locate the individual.
That person can turn themselves in at any time.
Can you explain the timeline between January and now?
Eight of the nine arrests occurred yesterday. Most were in Memphis, one in Nashville, and we are working with Georgia partners to apprehend the final suspect.
As for the timeline, building a federal case requires subpoena work, search warrants, and evidence collection. Identifying suspects and building a prosecutable case takes time. This is actually a relatively quick turnaround for a case of this magnitude.
What kind of penalties are they facing?
There is no mandatory minimum. Sentencing could range from zero to life imprisonment, depending on the individual’s criminal history and other factors. One defendant committing this crime while on home confinement would be considered an aggravating factor.
Can you share more about the victims?
At this time, we are not disclosing further information. More details may come out later, but we are not at liberty to share that now.
Can you describe how the arrests were carried out?
This required coordination across multiple jurisdictions to execute simultaneous arrests safely and without alerting others. It involved extensive planning and cooperation with local and federal partners.
Were all arrests in Memphis?
No. One arrest occurred in Frisco, Texas. The rest were in Memphis. We are actively pursuing the final suspect.
Thank you.
If there are further questions, please reach out to Catherine Miller.
Thank you.
