Lontrell Williams Sr., father of Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty, secured his release from federal custody on Wednesday (May 27) after a judge granted him bond while the case against all nine defendants moves toward trial, per Fox13 and The Commercial Appeal.
Prosecutors requested that Williams Sr.’s release be revoked, but a federal judge denied the request.
Williams is one of nine people charged in connection with the alleged robbery and kidnapping of Gucci Mane (born Radric Davis). Pooh Shiesty, whose legal name is Lontrell Williams Jr., and fellow rapper Big30 (Rodney Wright Jr.) are also among those indicted.
Prosecutors allege that on Jan. 10, Pooh Shiesty and his associates brought Gucci Mane to a Dallas recording studio under the guise of a business and recording meeting.
Investigators claim that once inside, Pooh Shiesty pulled out an automatic weapon and forced Gucci Mane to sign a record contract release at gunpoint, while others in the group allegedly took cash and jewelry from Gucci Mane and additional victims.
Pooh Shiesty, Big30, and the other co-defendants were taken into custody in April after authorities raided the older Williams’ Tennessee home. At an April 8 hearing, the FBI confirmed that Gucci Mane had provided a statement to police about the alleged incident. Both Pooh Shiesty and Big30 have entered not guilty pleas but remain behind bars after their bonds were revoked.
A final pretrial conference before Senior U.S. District Judge David Godbey is set for July 1 in Dallas federal court, with the full trial scheduled to begin July 6. A conviction on all counts could carry a life sentence for each of the nine defendants, as we previously reported.
