Federal prosecutors have charged rapper Pooh Shiesty and eight others with the armed robbery and kidnapping of three men in Dallas in January, following a dispute over a contract with Gucci Mane's record label, 1017 Records.
According to an FBI affidavit, the victims flew to Dallas on 10 January for what they believed was a business meeting at a recording studio. Pooh Shiesty, whose legal name is Lontrell Williams Jr, allegedly orchestrated the meeting to discuss his contract terms. Once inside, the group executed a coordinated armed takeover, with Pooh Shiesty brandishing an AK-style pistol and forcing the label owner to sign termination papers while stealing his jewellery and cash.
The US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, described Pooh Shiesty as the ringleader. Eight of the nine suspects were arrested on Wednesday, with the FBI serving warrants at a home in Cordova, Tennessee, owned by the rapper. At the time of the alleged incident, Pooh Shiesty was under home confinement for a prior firearms conviction in Florida and was wearing an electronic monitoring device, data from which was used in the investigation.
The other victims, identified by initials MM and BP, were also robbed, with one choked to near-unconsciousness. The defendants allegedly blocked the studio door to prevent the victims from leaving. Gucci Mane's publicists did not respond to requests for comment.
