Man confesses to kidnapping Michigan store manager to steal 123 guns

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — A man pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing 123 handguns after he kidnapped the manager of a Michigan sporting goods store and held him at gunpoint to reveal how to disable the alarm system.

“Had Darnell Bishop’s brazen crimes been successful, the streets of Benton Harbor and beyond would have been flooded with illegal firearms,” ​​said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten.

Bishop admitted that he and his brother handcuffed and blindfolded the manager of Dunham’s Sports at the victim’s home last November and forced him to reveal how to disable the alarm system.

Bishop said he went into the store and stole two coolers, sunglasses and 123 guns while his accomplice, Dontrell Nance, stayed in a car with Dunham’s manager. A video of the theft from the store was presented as evidence.

Bishop pleaded guilty to kidnapping and use of a firearm during a violent crime. Nance pleaded guilty to the same charges in April. They face up to life in prison.

Investigators were able to identify one of the men after he attempted to transfer money from the manager’s bank account using a cash app.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the weapons were worth more than $100,000. All weapons were confiscated.

The Dunham’s store is located near Benton Harbor, 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) east of Chicago.