Rapper Gucci Mane was allegedly kidnapped and robbed in the United States by a fellow artist signed to his label, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday by the Department of Justice.
Lontrell Williams Jr., who performs under the name Pooh Shiesty, allegedly arranged a meeting with Mane, legally known as Radric Davis, in Dallas, Texas, on January 10 to discuss his contract with Mane’s label, 1017, the complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas stated.
Williams was reportedly “upset with the terms of his contract” and wanted to be released, the filing said. The pair met that afternoon at a music studio located inside an office building.
At the time, Williams was wearing an ankle monitor due to home confinement stemming from a prior firearms conspiracy conviction in Florida, the complaint noted.
While inside the studio, Williams allegedly received a phone call informing him that his case manager had not authorized his outing and that he needed to return home immediately.
Mane offered to postpone the meeting, but Williams insisted on speaking with him in an adjacent recording room.
The complaint said Mane agreed, joining Williams, Williams’ father, and another artist in the room.
An argument broke out inside the studio. Williams allegedly told the other artist to fetch a bag, from which he “pulled what appeared to be a black AK-style pistol” and pointed it at Mane, demanding that Mane sign the paperwork to release him from his contract. Mane complied while Williams’ father and the other artist stood by, officials alleged.
The complaint further states that after leaving the studio, six additional members of Williams’ group armed themselves and demanded “property” from other individuals present, identified only by initials.
One victim, referred to as “M.M.,” had a Rolex watch, wallet, Apple Airpods, and a Louis Vuitton bag stolen, along with other watches, according to the filing. The complaint alleged that M.M. was “choked from behind to the point of nearly losing consciousness.”
The victims were reportedly prevented from leaving when one of the group members allegedly barricaded them inside. The filing said the victims feared “they were going to be executed.”
Williams, his father, and seven others departed in vehicles captured on surveillance cameras from a neighboring building.
One of the vehicles was a 2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat registered to Williams’ father, along with two rental cars rented in his father’s name.
Authorities arrested Williams, his father, and six others Wednesday in Dallas and Memphis, Tennessee.
They now face federal charges for kidnapping and armed robbery, with potential sentences of life in prison if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould described the suspects as having “resorted to violence and intimidation to achieve their purported business objectives.”
Representatives for both Mane and Williams had not immediately responded to NBC News requests for comment Thursday.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the electronic monitoring device Williams was wearing placed him at the scene, corroborated by surveillance footage. Social media posts by the suspects reportedly displayed the allegedly stolen items following the incident.
