The incident took place on January 10, 2026, at a recording studio in Dallas. According to federal complaints, Pooh Shiesty (born Lontrell Williams Jr.) orchestrated the meeting under the guise of a professional collaboration. Once Mane arrived, the atmosphere turned deadly. Prosecutors allege that Williams Jr. pointed a “black AK-style pistol” at his mentor, forcing him to sign legal documents that would release the younger rapper from his contract at Mane’s 1017 Records.
The victims, which included Mane and several unidentified associates, reportedly believed “they were going to be executed” as the defendants brandished multiple firearms. During the ordeal, Mane was allegedly stripped of his wedding ring, watch, earrings, and cash. Another victim was choked and robbed of a Rolex watch and a Louis Vuitton bag.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould noted a brazen lack of discretion following the crime. “Within hours of leaving the Dallas studio, a number of the defendants were on social media displaying some of the items that appeared to be the jewellery that had been robbed,” Raybould stated during a news conference.
The BBC notes that Williams Jr. was supposedly under house arrest for a previous firearms conspiracy at the time of the kidnapping. Among the eight suspects arrested in Dallas, Memphis, and Nashville is the rapper’s father, Lontrell Williams Sr. One suspect remains at large, with investigators currently working with Georgia authorities to locate him.
Gucci Mane, a pioneer of the trap genre who has collaborated with stars like Drake and Usher, has yet to release a public statement. If convicted of the federal kidnapping and armed robbery charges, the defendants could face life in prison.
