A Michigan man pleaded guilty to kidnapping the manager of a sporting goods store at gunpoint during a scheme to steal more than 100 guns from the business last November. Darnell Bishop, 33, faces life in prison after agreeing to a plea deal on Tuesday that involved him pleading guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence that took place on Nov. 16, 2023, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
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, according to The Associated Press, which added that video of the theft was included in evidence. The guns, which the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined to be worth more than $100,000, have since been recovered by law enforcement.
Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said his office is 'laser focused' on prosecuting the people 'driving gun violence in our communities.' 'Darnell Bishop’s brazen crimes, if successful, would have flooded the streets of Benton Harbor and beyond with illegal firearms,' Totten said. 'I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners for their swift investigative work that put a stop to this criminal scheme.