Gucci Mane allegedly robbed, kidnapped at studio by rapper Pooh Shiesty

Several people have been arrested after rapper Gucci Mane was allegedly robbed and kidnapped at a recording studio in Dallas earlier this year.

The Grammy-nominated rapper was allegedly kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint by nine individuals, which included fellow emcees Pooh Shiesty and Big30, during a business meeting at the studio, Ryan Raybould, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, announced in a press release Thursday, April 2.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said that eight of the nine suspects were arrested on Wednesday, April 1, across Dallas, Memphis and Nashville. They face up to life in prison if convicted.

Aside from Shiesty and Big30, the other alleged suspects include Lontrell Williams Sr., Kedarius Waters, Terrance Rodgers, Damarian Gipson, Demarcus Glover, Kordae Johnson and Darrion McDaniel. Rodgers has not been arrested yet, according to Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA.

Williams Sr. is Shiesty's father (the rapper's birth name is Lontrell Williams Jr.). He allegedly "helped plan and execute" the kidnapping, the U.S. Attorney's Office noted.

Representatives for Shiesty were not available for comment at the time of publication. USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Mane and Big30 for comment.

The alleged incident occurred on Jan. 10 when three music industry professionals traveled to Dallas for a meeting arranged by Shiesty, per the U.S. Attorney's Office. The purpose of the meeting was to "discuss the terms of his recording contract with one of the victims" (Pooh Shiesty is signed to Gucci Mane's 1017 Records label).

While in the studio, Shiesty and his alleged accomplices executed a "coordinated armed takeover," the attorney's office added, which included Shiesty pulling out an "AK-style pistol" and forcing "one of the victims to sign a release from the recording contract at gunpoint."

Big30, whose real name is Rodney Wright Jr., allegedly "barricaded the studio door with his body" in order to block the victims' exit amid the robbery.

The other suspects, who also had firearms, robbed the remaining people in the studio of "Rolex watches, jewelry, cash and other high-value items," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Additionally, one of the alleged victims was choked during the robbery to the "point of near unconsciousness."

"Instead of discussing business in a civil matter, the defendants resorted to violence and intimidation to achieve their purported business objectives," Raybould said in a statement. "For anyone contemplating using violence and intimidation as a business practice, I'm here to tell you that it will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted in the Northern District of Texas."

Gucci Mane robbery arrests follow Pooh Shiesty home raid

The arrests in Gucci Mane's alleged incident come a day after the FBI executed a search at a Tennessee home belonging to Shiesty, an FBI spokesperson previously confirmed to The Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

On Wednesday, federal agents served "court-authorized warrants" at a Cordova residence. That address, according to property records, was purchased by Shiesty in April 2023.

The FBI would not confirm the names of those it was serving warrants for, saying the U.S. Attorney's Office had discretion over naming those targeted in the investigation.

Shiesty was released from prison in October after the rapper pleaded guilty to a firearms conspiracy charge in January 2022, tied to allegations that he shot a man in a Florida hotel in 2020.

Shiesty was on home confinement for the conviction, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. The custody arrangement included the requirement that Shiesty could not "commit other criminal offenses or possess firearms" while serving his detention.

This story has been updated to add new information.

Contributing: Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal