Gucci Mane was allegedly kidnapped and robbed during a “coordinated armed takeover” of a Dallas music studio and rapper Pooh Shiesty allegedly brandished an AK-style pistol to force the rap mogul to sign a document releasing Shiesty from his recording contract, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
In a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Dallas, rolling stonesprosecutors allege Shesti, born Lontrell Williams Jr., was “uncomfortable with his terms.” [recording] contract” and met with Mane, whose legal name is Radric Davis, to discuss the matter. The complaint identifies Mane by his initials, RD, and describes him as the head of 1017, the brand that signed Williams in 2021.
Prosecutors said that during the afternoon meeting on January 10, 2026, Williams and the eight men who traveled with him from Memphis allegedly robbed the victim at gunpoint of his Rolex watch, jewelry, cash, Louis Vuitton bag and wallet containing an Apple AirTag. One co-defendant, Memphis rapper Big30, allegedly took the bag with an AK-style handgun at Williams’ direction, then pulled out his cell phone to record Davis signing documents “released” from Williams’ contract.
Prosecutors said Williams then took Davis’ wedding ring, watch, earrings and cash. Big30, whose legal name is Rodney Lamont Wright Jr., allegedly blocked exits, trapping people inside. One victim was “choked from behind and nearly unconscious,” according to the complaint, which includes photos showing scratches on the man’s neck and wrists.
Another member of Williams’ entourage, co-defendant Terrance Rodgers, allegedly posted a video on social media afterward, allegedly wearing a Rolex watch that prosecutors said was stolen during the robbery. Another co-defendant, Demarcus Glover, allegedly shared photos of himself wearing jewelry taken from one of the victims in the studio.
Williams’ longtime criminal attorney, Bradford Cohen, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Attempts to reach representatives for Wright and Davis were not immediately successful.
Prosecutors said they had substantial evidence linking Williams to the crime, including electronic surveillance data from an ankle monitor that placed him in a studio in violation of the conditions of his home detention. Serena Williams was released from prison last October after serving three years in Miami on gun charges. In that case, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess a firearm with intent to commit violence and drug trafficking. At the time of the alleged kidnapping and robbery in January, he had been released from his home and banned from possessing firearms.
License plate reader data showed multiple defendants traveling together from Memphis to Dallas, prosecutors said. Rental car records show Williams’ father, Lontrell Williams Sr., rented the vehicle used by the group. Williams Sr. was allegedly a member of the group at the studio and was charged in the complaint.
Surveillance video from the crime scene, a nearby office supply store and a hotel where several of the defendants were staying also helped lead to the charges and arrests, authorities said. They allege that latent fingerprints recovered from the scene matched both defendants and that the AirTags on the stolen wallet were last located in a parking lot next to the apartment Williams Sr. currently rents, where Williams Jr. is believed to live.
Williams was arrested by authorities on Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Prisons website. All nine defendants are charged with conspiracy to kidnap, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
“Nine defendants traveled to Dallas, Texas, to kidnap and rob victims who thought they were there for a business meeting. Instead of discussing business in a civil case, the defendants resorted to violence and intimidation to achieve their alleged business goals,” U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said in a statement. “For anyone considering using violence and intimidation as a business practice, I am here to tell you that this will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the Northern District of Texas.”
This story originally appeared in Rolling Stone.
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