The U.S. Department of Justice just fired a massive warning shot across the music industry. Prosecutors are officially cracking down on artists using violence as a business practice. Memphis rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30 are now facing federal kidnapping and robbery charges. They allegedly organized a brutal, armed ambush against rap superstar Gucci Mane inside a Dallas recording studio.
The violent internal dispute is completely rattling the entertainment business. Pooh Shiesty, born Lontrell Williams Jr., signed with Gucci Mane’s The New 1017 label in 2020. The DOJ claims the Memphis rapper used extreme intimidation to force his way out of the recording contract.
The setup happened on January 10, 2026. According to a detailed report released on Thursday, Pooh Shiesty lured Gucci Mane, real name Radric Delantic Davis, to a Dallas studio. It was supposed to be a standard contract meeting. Instead, Pooh Shiesty allegedly drew an AK-style pistol and forced Gucci Mane to sign a contract release at gunpoint.
The ambush escalated fast. Co-conspirators, including rapper Big30, barricaded the studio doors. They choked a music industry professional nearly to unconsciousness. The group robbed the victims of Rolex watches, jewelry, and cash before fleeing the scene.
The FBI moved in on Wednesday, April 1. Agents executed sweeping, multi-state raids across Dallas, Memphis, and Nashville. They arrested eight of the nine suspects. The arrests included Pooh Shiesty’s father, Lontrell Williams Sr. Prosecutors say he planned the logistics and rented the getaway vehicles. One suspect currently remains at large.
Who is Pooh Shiesty? What to know about Gucci Mane, kidnapping arrest https://t.co/mHUpnPxiXy
— Tennessean (@Tennessean) April 3, 2026
The suspects practically handed the FBI their case. Within hours of the Dallas robbery, several suspects posted photos of Gucci Mane’s stolen luxury goods and cash on social media. Federal agents quickly matched that digital trail with Greyhound bus records and fingerprint evidence.
This is a massive legal disaster for Pooh Shiesty. He was already on strict federal home confinement during the January 10 ambush. He had just been released from prison in October 2025 for a separate Florida firearms conspiracy. Investigators literally tracked the GPS data from his own ankle monitor directly to the Dallas crime scene.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould confirmed the DOJ is taking a hardline stance against these tactics. Committing a violent felony while on federal home confinement is an extreme aggravating factor for sentencing. All nine defendants now face up to life in federal prison if convicted.