Rapper Pooh Shiesty has asked a federal judge to intervene over what his lawyers describe as “inhumane” conditions at a Texas jail, where he is being held ahead of trial over the alleged kidnapping and robbery of fellow musician Gucci Mane.
Shiesty, whose real name is Lontrell Williams Jr, is detained at Rolling Plains Regional Jail while awaiting proceedings in Dallas. His lawyers say he spends 23 hours a day alone in his cell and is allowed only two hours of in-person visitation each month.
In an emergency motion filed on 15 October, the defence argued that Williams had not been convicted in the case and should not be subjected to restrictions more severe than those imposed on some sentenced federal prisoners.
The motion also claims that the isolation has affected the rapper’s mental health, with his lawyers citing anxiety and difficulty sleeping. They have asked the court to require an end to the 23-hour lockdown and restore what they describe as the minimum guaranteed visiting time.
Prosecutors dispute jail conditions claim
Federal prosecutors have urged the judge to reject the request, arguing that Williams has extensive access to a tablet that allows him to make video calls, send emails, play games, watch Netflix and follow NFL matches.
Government records show he has sent and received more than 12,000 emails since being detained and has taken part in about 230 video calls lasting a combined 45 hours.
“It can hardly be said that these conditions of confinement are inhumane,” US Attorney Ryan Raybould wrote in the government’s response.
Prosecutors said Williams was placed in solitary confinement partly for his own protection after he admitted ingesting fentanyl. They also said three other inmates had tried to enter his area to obtain his autograph, creating concerns about safety and the running of the facility.
The government further argued that Williams receives the same visiting allowance as other federal detainees and had not had a personal visitor since 27 August.
Alleged Gucci Mane kidnapping
Williams and eight co-defendants are accused of arranging a meeting with Gucci Mane, whose legal name is Radric Davis, at a Dallas recording studio in January.
Federal prosecutors allege that the group held Davis and members of his entourage at gunpoint and took watches, jewellery, cash and other valuables. Investigators believe the confrontation was linked to Williams’s reported dispute over his contract with Davis’s label, The New 1017 Records.
Williams’s lawyers have disputed the allegations and previously argued that investigators lacked important physical evidence connected to the alleged robbery and contract dispute.
Williams was on home confinement for an earlier federal firearms conviction when the alleged incident took place, according to the US Department of Justice. A judge has since ruled that there was probable cause to support the new allegations and refused to release him pending trial.
The case is currently expected to go to trial in February 2027. Williams remains presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty.
