A Michigan man armed with coolers and a gun pleaded guilty to kidnapping a store manager and stealing 123 firearms in a heist worth over $100,000, officials said Thursday.

Darnell Bishop, 33, of Benton Harbor, faces life in prison after admitting to a brazen crime spree that included kidnapping a sporting goods store manager, forcing him to surrender the store’s alarm code, and making off with 123 pistols in two large coolers. The stolen firearms, recovered by law enforcement, could have flooded the streets with illegal weapons, according to U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. Bishop's brother and partner in crime, Dontrell Nance, also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced next July.

The dramatic events unfolded on the evening of November 16, 2023, when Bishop abducted the store manager from outside his residence. Sticking to a script worthy of Hollywood, Bishop blindfolded his victim and coerced him into divulging the store's alarm code. With step one completed, he escorted the manager to the store, ensuring his getaway plan was foolproof.

Once at the sporting goods store, Bishop moved swiftly, armed not only with a gun but also an unorthodox toolkit: two large coolers. Rather than packing for a family barbecue, he filled these with an impressive 123 pistols. Brazen and methodical, he bypassed traditional notions of burglary with the efficiency of a deli worker dealing with cold cuts.

The significance of the theft was made clear when the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives valued the stolen firearms at over $100,000. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, emphasized that the recovered guns prevented a potential avalanche of illegal firearms on the streets—which, let's be honest, is one avalanche Michigan definitely doesn't need.

Despite the precision of their operation, Bishop and Nance's downfall came swiftly. A critical mistake occurred when one of the suspects attempted to transfer money from the manager's bank account via a cash app. This electronic breadcrumb led investigators right to their metaphorical doorsteps.

On the day following the heist, law enforcement conducted thorough searches of the suspects' residences and vehicles. Fortunately, their efforts paid off as they recovered the stolen firearms, effectively neutralizing any potential danger the guns posed to public safety. It seems the suspects' 'brilliant' plan of hiding the evidence in plain sight didn't quite cut it.

Adding insult to injury, surveillance footage captured the entire escapade, providing clear and incriminating evidence against the duo. The visual proof of their crime left little room for denial in court.

In a courtroom twist that won’t make many sympathetic, Bishop also pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, compounding his list of charges. The gravity of his actions has led to a life sentence after agreeing to a plea deal, further sealing his fate.

As the legal process unfolds, all eyes now shift to Bishop's brother, Dontrell Nance, who stands in the same precarious legal situation. Having pleaded guilty to identical charges, Nance will face sentencing on July 22, 2024. The siblings’ criminal escapade can be credited with not only ambitious temerity but also misguided simplicity.

In the end, while the coolers might have sufficed for a summer picnic, they were ill-prepared for the searing heat of criminal justice. Bishop and Nance's story serves as a peculiar testament to innovation gone awry, and one can't help but wonder what they might have achieved had they applied their creative problem-solving to a less felonious endeavor.