A 22-year-old McKinney man who helped ram a vehicle into a Plano gun store and haul away more than 60 firearms is heading to federal prison for more than seven years.
Brandon Elliott Bennett was sentenced this week to 87 months behind bars for his role in a 2024 smash-and-grab at Mister Guns in Plano. Federal court records say the break‑in happened on May 5, 2024, when suspects plowed a vehicle into the storefront and used a sledgehammer to bust open glass display cases. Prosecutors say the crew grabbed dozens of rifles and handguns that were later sold for profit, triggering a federal investigation.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas, Bennett pleaded guilty to conspiracy of theft from a federal firearm licensee and theft from a federal firearm licensee. U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant sentenced him on Tuesday. The office says Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver prosecuted the case.
How The Break-In Unfolded
Court filings describe a coordinated middle-of-the-night hit: a vehicle slamming into the front entrance, Bennett swinging a sledgehammer to smash multiple glass display cases, and the group bolting with more than 60 firearms, including rifles and pistols tucked inside. Local courtroom accounts and victim-impact details from the shop surfaced in coverage by WFAA.
Federal Crackdown
Prosecutors said the case was handled under Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative aimed at disrupting cartels, transnational criminal organizations and violent crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation, zeroing in on how quickly stolen guns from retail hits can move into illegal markets.
Federal officials have been increasingly vocal about treating smash‑and‑grab gun store heists as more than just property crimes, pointing to the fast pipeline from shattered display case to street sale. Bennett’s case landed squarely in that category.
Legal Note
Bennett pleaded to counts that specifically target theft from federally licensed firearms dealers, charges federal prosecutors often use when store robberies are tied to illegal resale networks. The 87‑month sentence reflects the government’s stance on trafficking-related retail theft. For broader context on similar cases, see the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives press releases at ATF.
Prosecutors say Bennett later sold the stolen guns for profit, and court records, along with the federal press release, indicate the sentence resolves his portion of the scheme while investigations into co‑conspirators may continue. For Plano residents and small-business owners, the case is a blunt reminder of how quickly one smash‑and‑grab can strip a showroom and pump dozens of firearms into illegal circulation.
