The US Department of Justice has issued a statement regarding the kidnapping and robbery of rapper Gucci Mane.
Shortly after the statement was issued, a video of Gucci Mane circulated online in which he says he will not cooperate with authorities.
However, the video is old and does not cover the latest incident related to his kidnapping. The artist has also not raised the matter on his Instagram account where he is followed by millions of people.
Below is the full statement and photos released by the Department of Justice:
This week, nine people – including well-known music artists – were federally charged with kidnapping and robbing numerous victims at gunpoint at a music studio in Dallas, Texas, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced.
Eight of the nine were arrested yesterday in Dallas, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee. The accused suspects include:
Lontrell Williams. Jr. a/k/a “Pooh Shiesty”
Lontrell Williams, Sr.
Rodney Wright, Jr. as “Big30”
Kedarius Waters
Terrance Rodgers
Damarian Gipson
Demarcus Glover
Kordae Johnson
Darrion McDaniel
“As alleged, nine defendants traveled to Dallas, Texas, to kidnap and rob victims who believed they were coming to town for a business meeting. Rather than discuss matters in a civil case, the defendants resorted to violence and intimidation to achieve their alleged business objectives,” said Ryan Raybould, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. “For anyone considering the use of violence and intimidation as a business practice, I am here to tell you that it will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted in the Northern District of Texas. This case also highlights the outstanding contributions of my colleagues across the United States, including in the Western District of Tennessee, the Middle District of Tennessee and the Eastern District of Texas, as well as the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and our state and local partners.”
“The Western District of Tennessee utilizes a whole team concept with federal, state and local partners to aggressively prosecute all violent criminals who dare to commit crime or seek safe haven within our jurisdiction. Here, agents from the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, strongly supported by Task Force Officers from the Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Desoto County Sheriff’s Office and aviation assets from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, brought these violent criminals to justice and put them behind bars. These defendants will be sent to the Northern District of Texas transported to face their crimes,” said D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
“Strong partnerships with local law enforcement are key to reducing violent crime. Multi-agency collaboration resulted in the successful arrest of several individuals in both Texas and Tennessee. The FBI remains committed to investigating violent offenders and holding them accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
The complaint alleges that on January 10 of this year, three music industry professionals traveled to Dallas for a planned business meeting. Lontrell Williams, Jr. arranged this meeting, ostensibly to discuss the terms of his recording contract with one of the victims.
As alleged, Williams Jr. and eight co-conspirators, several of whom had traveled from Memphis, staged a coordinated armed takeover as soon as these three men were in the studio.
The complaint alleges that Williams Jr. produced an AK-style pistol and forced one of the victims at gunpoint to sign a release from the recording contract. The remaining conspirators displayed firearms and robbed the other victims of Rolex watches, jewelry, cash and other valuables.
One victim was so suffocated that he was almost unconscious. Included in the complaint were photos of some of his injuries:
Photos of injuries to the wrist and neck of one victim
Defendant Wright barricaded the studio door with his body to prevent the victims from escaping.
Court records show Lontrell Williams, Jr., or Pooh Shiesty, was on home confinement for a previous firearms conspiracy conviction out of the Southern District of Florida. Part of the conditions of his house arrest was that he was not allowed to commit any other criminal offenses and was not allowed to possess firearms. His father, Lontrell Williams Sr., is alleged to have helped plan and carry out the federal kidnapping.
As described in the complaint, within hours of leaving the Dallas studio, the defendants posted messages on social media showing some of the stolen jewelry depicted in the photos included in the complaint:
A screenshot of a video posted from Rodgers’ social media account showed a Rolex believed to have been stolen during the robbery
