Store manager kidnapped by Michigan man before guns stolen from retailer: DOJ
A 33-year-old man pleaded guilty to kidnapping a sporting goods store manager at gunpoint and stealing 123 pistols from the business.
In November, a man from Michigan was found guilty of kidnapping the manager of a sporting goods store at gunpoint as part of a plan to steal over 100 guns from the business.
On Tuesday, Darnell Bishop, 33, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence that occurred on Nov. 16, 2023, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
Dontrell Nance, Bishop's brother and accomplice, pleaded guilty to the same charges in April and will be sentenced later this month, the DOJ announced.
Bishop confessed to authorities that he and Nance broke into the manager's home and held him captive at gunpoint, demanding the code to disable the store's alarm.
According to The Associated Press, video of the theft was included in evidence. The two men then went to the sporting goods store where Bishop said he stole two coolers, sunglasses and 123 pistols while Nance stayed in the car with the store manager.
The guns, valued at over $100,000 by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, have been recovered by law enforcement.
Mark Totten, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, stated that his office is intensely focused on prosecuting those responsible for gun violence in the communities.
""Darnell Bishop's audacious crimes would have resulted in an influx of illegal firearms on the streets of Benton Harbor and beyond, but thanks to the quick work of our law enforcement partners, the scheme was thwarted," Totten stated."
The Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division, James Deir, stated that armed robberies of Federal Firearms License dealers are a top priority for the ATF. Tuesday's plea was the best-case scenario for dealers and their employees.
Deir stated that the message remains clear: No place in our community exists for firearms traffickers who illegally target and harm business owners and employees who are only trying to support their families.
Bishop's sentencing date has not yet been revealed.
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