Rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30 have been arrested alongside multiple other suspects on federal robbery and kidnapping charges in Texas, the Department of Justice announced today, April 2. The charges stem from an “armed takeover”of a Dallas recording studio in January, allegedly in response to a dispute over Pooh Shiesty’s contract with Gucci Mane’s label, 1017 Records.
According to the DOJ, the incident took place on January 10. The complaint alleges that three “music industry professionals” traveled to Dallas for a meeting arranged by Pooh Shiesty— real name Lontrell Williams, Jr.—to discuss the terms of a record deal. Inside the studio, nine people, including the aforementioned suspects, orchestrated an “armed takeover.” The DOJ claims that one of the nine held a victim at gunpoint with an AK pistol, forcing them to sign a release from the recording contract. Pitchfork has reached out to lawyers for Williams, Jr. and Gucci Mane for comment.
Big30 reportedly barricaded the door with his body as the defendants produced more firearms, proceeding to rob the plaintiffs of Rolex watches, jewelry, cash and other items. One individual was allegedly choked to the point of near unconsciousness. The DOJ claims that after the defendants left the studio, several of them displayed the stolen goods on social media. On Wednesday, April 2, eight out of nine suspects were arrested across three cities: Memphis, Nashville, and Dallas. The ninth individual, Terrance Rodgers, has not been taken into custody.
After gaining recognition with singles like “Twerksum” and “Back In Blood” Williams, Jr. signed to 1017 Records in 2021. In 2022, Williams was sentenced to five years in prison for a Florida gun conspiracy conviction in Miami. According to court records, Williams was still in home detention, which required that he did not commit another federal crime or possess a firearm. In 2024, Gucci Mane announced that he was releasing all of his artists from the imprint except for Williams and Foogiano. By October 2025, Williams, Jr. was released from prison; he put out a single, “FDO,” two months later.
If convicted on the new charges, Williams, Jr. and the other suspects face life imprisonment. “This case should serve as a warning to others who believe that using violence and intimidation tactics to rob others in our community is a viable way to conduct business,” Ryan Raybould, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said in a press hearing.
This is a developing story.
