A Dallas federal judge ruled Wednesday (April 8) that Pooh Shiesty, whose real name is Lontrell Williams Jr., must remain behind bars following his arrest on kidnapping and armed robbery charges. The ruling came after a hearing at the Earle Cabell Federal Building, where the judge determined that probable cause exists in connection with what prosecutors have described as the kidnapping of Gucci Mane.
Federal prosecutors allege that on January 10, Williams Jr. lured three music industry professionals to a Dallas recording studio under the pretense of a business meeting, then produced an AK-style firearm and forced a victim at gunpoint to surrender a contract release from The New 1017 Records — the label owned and operated by Gucci Mane.
According to a federal criminal complaint, co-defendants — including rapper Big30, whose legal name is Rodney Wright Jr. — allegedly brandished weapons and stripped victims of cash, jewelry, and Rolex watches. A Department of Justice press release states that nine men were federally charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping and armed robbery of multiple victims at a Dallas music studio, including well-known artists among the defendants.
Wednesday’s hearing also highlighted gaps in the government’s case. The FBI acknowledged it does not possess the recording contract at the center of the dispute, has no video of any alleged contract signing, and has not recovered the weapons or jewelry described in the complaint, according to FOX 4. Agents also said that none of the alleged victims — including Gucci Mane — had been directly interviewed by federal investigators, who instead relied on statements gathered by Dallas Police Department officers at the scene. Williams Jr. shook his head repeatedly during the FBI’s testimony.
Defense attorney Bradford Cohen emphasized those evidentiary gaps in court. “What didn’t we hear today? What we didn’t hear today is there is no contract, this mystery contract. They have no contract. They have no video of this alleged signing of a contract. They have no guns, they have no jewelry. They have none of that physical evidence,” Cohen said. He added that the government’s case rests on “allegedly five individuals, one of them being a very well-known individual who is allegedly cooperating with the government and making these allegations against my client and many more.”
At the time of the January incident, Williams Jr. was already serving home confinement under a court-ordered ankle monitor tied to a 2022 federal conviction for conspiracy and drug trafficking. Federal investigators said they used GPS data from that monitor to track his movements.
Gucci Mane had previously released all artists from his New 1017 Records label except for Pooh Shiesty and Foogiano. If convicted, all nine defendants could face life imprisonment on the federal kidnapping charges.
