Related Federal Cases
Adair Police Chief Gets 5 Years for Gun Trafficking
DES MOINES, Iowa – Bradley Eugene Wendt, 47, former Chief of Police for Adair, Iowa, will spend the next five years in federal prison after being sentenced yesterday for a brazen scheme to illegally obtain and resell machine guns. Wendt, who also owned BW Outfitters, a federal firearms licensee in Denison, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to make false statements to the ATF, multiple counts of making false statements, and illegal possession of a machine gun.
The evidence painted a clear picture of a public servant abusing his authority for personal gain. Between July 2018 and August 2022, Wendt exploited a loophole in the law allowing law enforcement to purchase machine guns, flooding the Adair Police Department with requests for weaponry far beyond the needs of his two-man force. He penned nearly 40 “law letters” requesting 90 machine guns, falsely claiming they were for official department use and not for resale.
The scheme wasn’t about protecting Adair; it was about padding Wendt’s pockets. The jury found he purchased machine guns with department funds, then flipped them for a personal profit of nearly $80,000. One particularly egregious example involved a .50 caliber “Ma Deuce” machine gun, which Wendt immediately mounted onto his personally owned armored Humvee. He wasn’t serving the public, he was building an arsenal for himself.
Wendt’s greed extended to hosting a machine gun shoot in April 2022, charging members of the public to fire weapons – including those registered to the Adair Police Department. The jury determined this wasn’t legitimate law enforcement training; it was a profit-driven side hustle. He was also convicted of illegally possessing a belt-fed M60 machine gun registered to the department, confirming his blatant disregard for the law.
“We expect law enforcement officers to uphold their oath to protect and serve our communities,” stated FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “Instead, Brad Wendt broke the law and betrayed the community by unlawfully obtaining and selling firearms for his own personal profit.” Gordon N. Mallory, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Division, added, “This sentence sends a loud message to anyone in public service: if they betray their oath of office and their responsibility to their community, they will be held accountable.”
Wendt received a 60-month prison sentence and a $50,000 fine. Upon release, he will face a three-year term of supervised release. No parole is available in the federal system. This case serves as a stark reminder that even those sworn to uphold the law are not above it, and that abusing public trust for personal enrichment will be met with federal prosecution. The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Weapons|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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