BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A man pleaded guilty Tuesday in a wild scheme to steal 123 handguns by kidnapping the manager of a Michigan sporting goods store and threatening him at gunpoint to reveal how to turn off the alarm.
“Darnell Bishop’s brazen crimes, if successful, would have flooded the streets of Benton Harbor and beyond with illegal firearms,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said.
Bishop admitted that he and his brother handcuffed and blindfolded the Dunham’s Sports manager at the victim’s home last November and forced him to reveal how to disable the alarm.
Bishop said he went to the store and stole two coolers, sunglasses and 123 guns while accomplice Dontrell Nance stayed with the Dunham’s manager in a car. Evidence included store video of the theft.
Bishop pleaded guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Nance pleaded guilty to the same charges in April. They face up to life in prison.
Investigators identified one of the men after he tried to transfer money from the manager’s bank account with a cash app.
The guns were worth more than $100,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. All have been recovered.
The Dunham’s store is near Benton Harbor, 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) east of Chicago.
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Rephrased content:
A man in Benton Harbor, Michigan, pleaded guilty to an audacious plan to steal 123 handguns by kidnapping the manager of a local sporting goods store and coercing him at gunpoint to reveal how to deactivate the alarm system. U.S. Attorney Mark Totten remarked that the actions of Darnell Bishop, if successful, would have inundated Benton Harbor and neighboring areas with illegal firearms.
Bishop confessed that he and his brother restrained and blindfolded the Dunham’s Sports manager at the victim’s residence in November and compelled him to disclose how to disable the alarm. Subsequently, Bishop proceeded to the store and looted two coolers, sunglasses, and the 123 guns while his accomplice, Dontrell Nance, remained with the manager in a vehicle. Incriminating evidence included store surveillance footage of the theft.
The charges levied against Bishop encompass kidnapping and exhibiting a firearm during a violent crime. In April, Nance also admitted guilt to the same offenses. Both could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Authorities managed to identify one of the perpetrators when he endeavored to transfer funds from the manager’s bank account using a cash app. The collective worth of the stolen firearms, calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, exceeded $100,000. Fortunately, all the guns have been retrieved. The Dunham’s store is located close to Benton Harbor, approximately 100 miles east of Chicago.
