Man sentenced for kidnapping gun store manager, stealing 123 pistols

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A Benton Harbor man will spend 15 years behind bars and pay tens of thousands of dollars for kidnapping a sporting goods store manager with a pistol then stealing over 120 pistols from the store, court records show.

Dontrell Nance, pleaded guilty in April to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during and in retaliation to a crime of violence, according to U.S. attorneys. He was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison and has to pay restitution and fines of $70,728.32, court records show.

The charges stemmed from Nov. 16 when 123 handguns were stolen from Dunham’s Sports in Benton Township.

As part of a plea agreement, federal attorneys said Nance admitted he and Darnell Bishop, both of Benton Harbor, kidnapped the Dunham’s manager outside his own home with a pistol, brought the manager to another place and convinced him to provide keys and the store’s alarm code. Nance told authorities he stayed with the manager while Bishop went to the store and took the handguns, according a federal release.

Darnell Bishop pleaded guilty to the same charges and is awaiting sentencing.

— News 8’s Katie Rosendale contributed to this report.

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