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A day after joining the defense team, attorney John Helms stepped forward Friday to challenge federal prosecutors’ characterization of the case against rapper Pooh Shiesty (born Lontrell Williams Jr.), who faces kidnapping and robbery charges in connection with an alleged January 10 incident involving rap mogul Gucci Mane at a Dallas recording studio.
“The government tries to characterize this as a dispute over money between Lontrell and his record label, but in this business, things are very often not what they seem, and people’s motivations are very often not what they seem.”
Helms’ remarks, reported by The Dallas Morning News on Friday, signal a defense strategy built around what he called the “volatile nature” of the music business and the specific contractual dynamics between Shiesty and Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records. “We will be presenting Lontrell’s side of the case as the case goes on, and I think it’s going to be significantly different from what the government says,” Helms added.
Federal prosecutors, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Rolling Stone, allege that Shiesty, 26, acted as a “ringleader” alongside eight co-conspirators, several of whom traveled from Memphis to Dallas. The government claims Shiesty lured Gucci Mane (born Radric Davis) to what appeared to be a routine business meeting, then brandished an AK-style pistol and forced the 1017 Records owner to sign paperwork releasing Shiesty from his contract.
Per the affidavit cited by CNN, after the alleged forced signing, Shiesty took Gucci Mane’s wedding ring, watch, earrings and cash. When the group returned to the main room, other defendants allegedly produced firearms and demanded valuables from two additional victims, including Rolex watches, a Louis Vuitton bag containing high-end watches, a diamond 1017 chain, wallets and Apple AirPods. One victim was reportedly choked to near unconsciousness.
Prosecutors say they have extensive evidence tying Shiesty to the crime. According to TMZ, surveillance footage from the building captures the group entering and one member retrieving a duffel bag, which investigators allege contained the AK-style weapon. Electronic data from Shiesty’s ankle monitor, which he was required to wear as a condition of his release from a prior firearms conviction, reportedly also places him at the studio, in violation of his home detention terms.
Co-Defendants and Social Media Missteps
Among the nine defendants named in the complaint is rapper Big30 (born Rodney Wright Jr.), who prosecutors say helped barricade the studio door to prevent victims from escaping and recorded the contract signing. Two other co-defendants allegedly posted self-incriminating content on social media afterward, with one seen in a video wearing what authorities believe is a stolen Rolex and another sharing photos of himself in jewelry allegedly taken from victims at the scene.
Shiesty’s father, Lontrell Williams Sr., is also among the defendants. He was recently granted a $250,000 bond and placed under house arrest, per Baller Alert. Shiesty himself remains in federal custody. If convicted on the conspiracy to commit kidnapping charge, he could face a life sentence.
Background: A Label Deal Gone Wrong?
Shiesty signed with 1017 Records in 2020, after Gucci Mane discovered him through early social media buzz. He quickly became one of the label’s marquee names before a 2021 guilty plea on a federal firearms conspiracy charge in Florida landed him in prison. He served three years of a 63-month sentence before an early release in October 2025, with Gucci Mane publicly celebrating his return. The alleged studio incident occurred just three months later, on January 10, 2026.
Shiesty’s prior criminal attorney, Bradford Cohen, initially told Rolling Stone the team was reviewing the charges, and separately told TMZ that he had spotted “inconsistencies” in the indictment he planned to address at future hearings. Helms, who joined the case less than a day before his Friday comments, appears to be taking a more aggressive public posture, framing the case as a story about music industry complexity rather than clear-cut criminal conduct.
The case is proceeding in federal court in the Northern District of Texas. Gucci Mane’s representatives have not publicly commented on the charges.
