DOJ charges rappers Pooh Shiesty, Big30 in Gucci Mane kidnapping case

Rapper Pooh Shiesty and fellow Memphis artist Big30 are among nine people federally charged in connection with an alleged armed kidnapping and robbery of Atlanta rap star Gucci Mane at a Dallas recording studio, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.

The North Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office held a press conference in Dallas revealing that eight of the nine defendants were arrested Wednesday in Dallas, Memphis and Nashville. The defendants include Pooh Shiesty, whose legal name is Lontrell Williams Jr.; his father, Lontrell Williams Sr.; Big30, whose legal name is Rodney Wright Jr.; and six others identified as Kedarius Waters, Terrance Rodgers, Damarian Gipson, Demarcus Glover, Kordae Johnson and Darrion McDaniel.

According to a federal criminal complaint, the incident unfolded on Jan. 10 after Pooh Shiesty arranged a meeting under the pretense of discussing the terms of his recording contract with one of the victims. Gucci Mane, whose real name is Radric Davis, and several other music industry figures flew to Dallas that afternoon, believing the session was a legitimate business meeting.

Investigators say the suspects entered the studio on Dallas Parkway around 3:43 p.m. and quickly separated the victims. Pooh Shiesty allegedly produced an AK-style pistol and forced one victim, identified as the head of a record label, to sign paperwork releasing him from his contract at gunpoint. Simultaneously, the remaining co-conspirators drew weapons and began robbing the others. One victim was shoved onto a couch and had his wallet and jewelry taken; another was choked nearly to the point of unconsciousness and stripped of a Rolex watch, a Louis Vuitton bag and other valuables, according to the DOJ. Big30 is accused of barricading the studio door to prevent the victims from escaping. At one point, victims believed they were about to be executed before being ordered out of the building.

Federal agents say the attack was planned in advance. Pooh Shiesty’s father allegedly helped arrange the meeting and visited a Staples store hours earlier, where investigators believe the contract documents were printed. The group then fled in multiple vehicles, including a Dodge Charger Hellcat, a Dodge Ram truck and a rented Buick Enclave.

The DOJ outlined a substantial body of evidence tying the defendants to the crime. Electronic monitoring data placed Pooh Shiesty at the studio despite home-detention restrictions stemming from a prior federal firearms conviction. Cellphone records and license plate reader data showed multiple suspects traveling together from Memphis to Dallas before the incident and staying at a Dallas hotel overnight afterward. Pooh Shiesty’s father is alleged to have rented one of the vehicles used by the group. Surveillance footage captured activity at the studio, a nearby office supply store and the hotel. Fingerprint evidence matched two defendants to items recovered at the scene, including red plastic cups. In the hours and days following the robbery, several suspects posted photos and videos on social media showing cash and jewelry believed to have been taken in the robbery.

Pooh Shiesty had been released from federal prison in October 2025, roughly six months before the alleged incident, after serving three years following a guilty plea to conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking. He was on home detention at the time of the January robbery, under terms explicitly prohibiting him from committing new crimes or possessing a firearm.

Pooh Shiesty first rose to prominence with the 2020 hit “Back in Blood” and was signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records imprint. Big30, also from Memphis, is signed to rapper Moneybagg Yo’s Bread Gang label.

All nine defendants are charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. If convicted, each faces up to life in federal prison. The FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force is leading the investigation, with assistance from multiple federal, state and local agencies in Texas and Tennessee, including the Memphis Safe Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan R. Raybould, who was appointed to the role in November 2025, appeared at the Dallas press conference announcing the charges.