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 Records, the label that signed Serena Williams in 2021.
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During the afternoon meeting on Jan. 10, 2026, Williams and the eight men he allegedly traveled with from Memphis brandished guns and robbed the victims of their Rolex watches, jewelry, cash, Louis Vuitton bags and wallets containing Apple AirTags, prosecutors said. The incident began when co-defendant Memphis rapper Big30 retrieved a separate bag containing an AK-style handgun for Williams and then used his cell phone to record Davis being ordered to sign documents terminating his contract, the complaint states. With the weapon still pointed at him, Davis “was forced to say that he was ‘released’ from Serena Williams’ contract,” the complaint states.
Williams then took Davis’ wedding ring, watch, earrings and cash, prosecutors said. Big30, whose legal name is Rodney Lamont Wright Jr., allegedly blocked the exits and trapped multiple victims inside the studio. 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.
One of Williams’ associates, 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 allegedly taken from studio victims.
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 say they have extensive evidence linking Williams to the crime, including electronic monitoring data from his ankle monitor, which allegedly 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 wallets were last located in a parking lot next to the apartment the elder Williams currently rents.
Williams was arrested 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 believed they were in town for a business meeting and not to discuss business in civil court [manner]Ryan Raybould, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said in a statement, “The defendants resorted to violence and intimidation to achieve their alleged business goals. For anyone considering using violence and intimidation as a business practice, I am here to tell you that the Northern District of Texas will investigate and prosecute this vigorously.”
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