Eight people, including rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30, have been arrested across Dallas, Memphis and Nashville in connection with an alleged kidnapping and armed robbery at a Dallas music studio, the US Department of Justice announced on April 2, 2026, with one suspect still at large. Federal prosecutors said the incident took place on January 10, 2026, when three music industry professionals travelled to Dallas for a meeting reportedly arranged by Pooh Shiesty, whose legal name is Lontrell Denell Williams Jr., to discuss a recording contract dispute with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records label, to which Pooh Shiesty had been signed since 2020.
According to authorities, the meeting escalated into what officials described as a "coordinated armed takeover" involving nine individuals, several of whom had travelled together from Memphis. Prosecutors allege that during the incident, Pooh Shiesty produced an AK-style firearm and forced a victim to sign a release from the recording contract at gunpoint. Other suspects allegedly brandished weapons and robbed victims of valuables including Rolex watches, jewellery and cash. One victim was reportedly choked to the point of near unconsciousness, while Big30, whose legal name is Rodney Lamont Wright Jr., is accused of barricading exits to prevent the victims from escaping.
