2 men arrested in brazen plot to steal more than 120 guns from Dunham's Sports in Michigan

Two men were arrested last week in a brazen plot in which they are accused of stealing more than 100 guns from a sporting goods store in southwestern Michigan, federal authorities said Tuesday.

All but one of the roughly 120 firearms were recovered Friday, one day after the heist at a Dunham’s Sports store in Benton Township on the southeastern coast of Lake Michigan, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said at a news conference.

That same day, federal authorities arrested two brothers identified as Darnell Bishop, 33, and Dontrell Nance, 25. Bishop and Nance are suspected of forcing a Dunham's manager at gunpoint to provide access to the targeted store, located about 100 miles east of Chicago.

“It is no secret that we are experiencing an epidemic of gun violence across the nation, across the State of Michigan, and right here in Benton Harbor,” Totten said in a statement. “What happened at Dunham Sport’s ... is a striking example of what is driving this crisis.”

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Two suspects accused of holding Dunham's manager at gunpoint outside his home

The store manager told federal investigators that he was confronted around 10 p.m. Thursday at his home, where Bishop and Nance are accused of handcuffing and blindfolding him before taking him to another location.

It was at the unidentified location that the men are accused in charging documents of threatening the store manager at gunpoint to provide security information that would allow them into the Dunham's. Using the manager's keys, Bishop reportedly disabled the alarm system to enter the sporting goods store and left with 123 handguns packed into two large coolers, court documents state.

Security footage captured video evidence of the break-in, a probable cause affidavit states. As the burglary unfolded at the store, Nance later said he remained with the store manager.

The guns were valued at more than $100,000, Jim Deir, head of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Michigan, told reporters, according to the Associated Press.

"My experience: These were headed to the streets," Deir said, as reported by the Associated Press. "These were headed for quick sale, quick money."

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Failed cash app transfer leads investigators to suspects

Investigators got the name of a suspect after one of the men unsuccessfully attempted to transfer money to himself from the manager's bank account with a cash app, federal agent Mallorie Campbell said in a court filing.

The failed transaction helped investigators to identify Nance, and eventually Bishop, authorities said.

The next day, investigators surveilled Nance at his home, where he and Bishop were seen moving the coolers into an SUV, according to the affidavit. That afternoon, investigators searched Bishop and Nance's homes and vehicles, where they reported finding the bulk of the stolen handguns and an unrelated pistol.

Both men were taken into custody that same day, authorities said.

Filed Monday, the complaint show charges Bishop and Nance with four federal crimes: robbery under a federal interstate commerce statute; using a firearm during a crime; stealing firearms from a federally licensed dealer; and knowingly possessing stolen firearms.

Campbell said they admitted their roles during interviews with investigators.

U.S. Attorney Mark Totten today announced that two Benton Harbor men were charged with several crimes related to the theft of guns from Dunham's Sports... | By U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan | Facebook

If convicted, both men face up to life in prison.

"Robberies and burglaries of gun dealers represent one of the biggest threats to our community’s public safety," Deir said in a statement. "As such, ATF partnered with our state and local law enforcement agencies to swiftly investigate this incident and thus, prevented over 120 firearms from making it into the hands of violent criminals on the streets and keeping our communities safer.”

Contributing: The Associated Press