Key takeaways:
- Nine suspects, including Pooh Shiesty and Big30, were federally charged for a January 10 kidnapping and armed robbery targeting Gucci Mane in Dallas.
- Pooh Shiesty allegedly forced Gucci Mane to sign contract release papers at gunpoint inside a recording studio while other victims were robbed and threatened.
- Authorities used surveillance footage, cellphone data, social media posts, and fingerprint evidence to link suspects to the crime scene.
Nine individuals, including rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30, have been federally charged in connection with a January 10 kidnapping and armed robbery at a Dallas recording studio targeting Atlanta rap star Gucci Mane, the Department of Justice announced Thursday. Authorities say the group lured victims to Texas under the pretense of a business meeting before carrying out a violent ambush.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Gucci Mane, whose legal name is Radric Davis, flew into Dallas that afternoon to discuss a recording contract dispute involving Pooh Shiesty, born Lontrell Williams Jr., who is signed to Mane’s label 1017 Records. Instead, nine suspects executed a coordinated armed takeover inside the studio on Dallas Parkway.
The suspects entered the studio around 3:43 p.m., quickly separating the victims. Pooh Shiesty allegedly took Gucci Mane into a recording room, pulled an AK-style pistol from a bag, and forced Mane to sign paperwork releasing him from his contract at gunpoint. Williams was wearing an ankle monitor at the time due to home confinement for a prior federal firearms conviction.
Meanwhile, other suspects drew firearms and robbed additional victims in the control room. One victim was pushed onto a couch and had his wallet and jewelry stolen. Another was choked from behind nearly to unconsciousness and robbed of a Rolex watch, a Louis Vuitton bag, and other valuables. Rodney Wright Jr., known as Big30, reportedly blocked the studio door to prevent victims from escaping during the robbery.
Victims feared they were about to be executed before being ordered out of the studio. The group then fled in multiple vehicles, including a Dodge Charger Hellcat registered to Williams’ father, a Dodge Ram truck, and a rented Buick Enclave. Investigators say the attack was planned in advance, with Pooh Shiesty’s father helping arrange the meeting and reportedly printing contract documents hours earlier.
Evidence includes surveillance footage, cellphone records, license plate data, and social media posts showing suspects displaying large amounts of cash and jewelry believed stolen during the robbery. Fingerprint evidence from items inside the studio also tied multiple suspects to the scene.
Eight of the nine defendants were arrested this week in Dallas and Memphis, Tennessee. All face federal charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. The FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force leads the investigation with assistance from multiple federal, state, and local agencies.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould described the defendants as having “resorted to violence and intimidation to achieve their purported business objectives.” Neither Gucci Mane’s nor Pooh Shiesty’s representatives immediately responded to requests for comment.
Be First to Comment