Judge Moves Pooh Shiesty Trial to February 2027 and Calls Case Complex

Overview

• A federal judge signed an amended pretrial order on Tuesday that resets jury selection for Feb. 22, 2027 and schedules a final pretrial conference for Feb. 17, 2027.
• Pooh Shiesty remains in federal custody after a judge denied him bond in April while at least two co-defendants won pretrial release; Big30 was ordered to post a $100,000 bond with home detention and electronic monitoring and Lontrell Williams Sr. reportedly secured a $250,000 bond.
• The Department of Justice says nine people are charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, Hobbs Act robbery/extortion and related firearms counts tied to a Jan. 10 incident at a Dallas recording studio that allegedly involved an AK-style pistol, forcing a contract release at gunpoint and the theft of jewelry, watches and cash.
• Prosecutors describe a 'mosaic' of evidence made up of surveillance footage, cellphone location and call records and witness statements, while defense lawyers contend key physical exhibits are missing and raise chain-of-custody concerns.
• The complex certification pauses speedy-trial calculations so lawyers can sift through thousands of pages of discovery and hours of video, which will extend pretrial preparation and could leave detained defendants apart from their families and careers for many months.