Federal prosecutors have filed charges against nine defendants, including rappers Pooh Shiesty and Big30, alleging they orchestrated a coordinated armed kidnapping and robbery at a Dallas recording studio in January. At the center of the alleged scheme was a contract dispute that prosecutors say escalated into a violent confrontation in which Gucci Mane was held at gunpoint and forced to sign documents terminating a recording agreement.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Dallas, the incident took place on the afternoon of January 10, 2026. Shiesty, who had been signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records label since 2021, allegedly arrived at the studio with eight men who had traveled with him from Memphis. What was arranged as a business meeting quickly turned into something far more dangerous.
What prosecutors say happened inside the studio
According to the complaint, Big30 retrieved a bag containing an assault-style pistol and handed it to Shiesty. With the weapon drawn, Shiesty allegedly ordered Gucci Mane to sign paperwork formally releasing him from his recording contract. Mane was then made to verbally state that the contract had been terminated while the weapon remained trained on him. Prosecutors say Shiesty then took Mane’s wedding ring, watch, earrings and cash before the group proceeded to rob other people present at the studio of Rolex watches, jewelry, additional cash and personal belongings.
Big30 allegedly positioned himself at the exit to prevent anyone from leaving. One person at the studio was choked from behind to the point of nearly losing consciousness, according to the complaint, with photographs submitted as evidence showing visible marks on the victim’s neck and wrist.
Digital trails and surveillance footage
Prosecutors say the evidence against the defendants is substantial. Electronic data from Shiesty’s ankle monitor allegedly places him at the studio at the time of the incident, a detail that also put him in violation of his home detention conditions. Shiesty had been released from federal prison in October 2024 after serving three years of a five-year sentence related to a gun charge in Miami. The terms of his release prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
License plate reader data reportedly shows multiple defendants traveling together from Memphis to Dallas ahead of the alleged crime. Rental car records indicate that Shiesty’s father rented a vehicle used by the group during the trip and that he was also present at the studio. He was among those charged in the complaint.
Surveillance footage from the studio, a nearby business and a hotel where several defendants were staying also contributed to the case. Latent fingerprints recovered from the scene were matched to two defendants. The tracking tag attached to a stolen wallet was later located near a residential address connected to Shiesty’s father.
Social media posts added to the case
Two of the co-defendants reportedly undermined their own position through social media activity following the alleged robbery. One was said to have posted a video wearing what prosecutors identified as a Rolex taken during the incident. Another shared images of himself wearing jewelry allegedly stolen from a victim inside the studio.
What the charges carry
All nine defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Shiesty was taken into custody on Wednesday. Federal authorities framed the case as a clear example of what happens when individuals attempt to resolve business disputes through violence and intimidation rather than lawful means, and indicated the prosecution would be pursued aggressively.
