Rapper Pooh Shiesty says the conditions of his pretrial detention are “inhumane,” but federal prosecutors argue that his access to Netflix and other tablet features undercuts that claim.
Shiesty, 26, whose legal name is Lontrell Williams Jr., filed a motion challenging what his attorneys called excessively “restrictive” conditions at Rolling Plains Regional Jail in Haskell, Texas. The rapper is awaiting trial in a federal case tied to an alleged robbery involving fellow artist Gucci Mane, KDWF-TV reported Friday.
According to court documents filed Oct. 15, Williams was confined to his cell for 23 hours a day and allowed only two hours of visitation each month. His lawyers argued that the restrictions were especially troubling as he prepared to face federal kidnapping and armed robbery charges.
“Prolonged near-total isolation is well recognized to carry serious psychological risks, including anxiety, depression, and impaired concentration,” his attorneys wrote in the motion.
Prosecutors pushed back, saying Williams had sent or received roughly 12,000 emails and made 230 video calls using a jail-issued tablet. The device also gives him access to video games, Netflix and NFL football, according to the outlet.
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“It can hardly be said that these conditions of confinement are inhumane, and therefore this emergency motion should be denied outright,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould wrote in the government’s response, according to the report.
The prosecution also said Williams had not received a visitor since late August. Officials said he was moved to solitary confinement after admitting that he had used fentanyl and because other inmates had repeatedly sought autographs from the “Back in Blood” rapper.
The charges against the 1017 Records artist stem from a January incident in which he allegedly held label chief Gucci Mane at gunpoint and pressured him to sign documents releasing Williams from his contract. Court records allege that eight associates then took Rolex watches, jewelry and cash, while also assaulting one of Mane’s associates.
The case is not Williams’ first encounter with the criminal justice system. In 2021, he was arrested after a strip club bouncer was shot in the leg. He had also previously faced drug, firearms and robbery charges.
Federal prosecutors said Williams ultimately pleaded guilty to firearms and drug-trafficking charges and received a five-year prison sentence. WCSC-TV reported that he was released early in 2025 after receiving credit for time served and good behavior.