Dontrell Nance pleads guilty in Dunham’s Sports handgun theft, potential life sentence

Darnell Bishop and Dontrell Nance

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. - The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, announced 25-year-old Dontrell Nance, pled guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Nance now faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison.

Nance was charged with his codefendant, Darnell Bishop, for the theft of 123 handguns from the Benton Harbor Dunham’s Sports.

As part of Nance's plea agreement, he admitted that he and Bishop kidnapped the Dunham’s manager from outside the manager’s home using a pistol.

They then took him to a second location and convinced the manager to provide keys and the alarm code for Dunham’s.

Nance said he stayed with the manager while Bishop went to the store, returning with the handguns packed in two large coolers. Law enforcement has since recovered all 123 firearms.

Bishop pled not guilty to kidnapping, interference with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee.