DES MOINES, IA – The top cop in Adair, Iowa, is facing federal charges after allegedly running a scheme to illegally acquire and resell machine guns, exploiting his position as police chief for personal profit. Bradley Wendt, 46, was indicted by a grand jury on December 14, 2022, accused of falsifying documents to obtain the weapons and then selling them for a significant gain.
According to court documents, Wendt allegedly used his authority as Adair’s Chief of Police to acquire 10 machine guns, claiming they were for the use of the small-town police department. Instead, he’s accused of reselling those weapons. He also allegedly secured 13 additional machine guns for his Denison-based gun store, BW Outfitters, by falsely telling the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) they were intended for demonstration to the Adair Police Department, a claim the indictment alleges was untrue.
The scheme didn’t stop there. Wendt allegedly partnered with Robert Williams, 46, of Manning, whose company, Williams Contracting LLC, is a federal firearms licensee. Wendt allegedly provided false documentation stating the Adair Police Department was interested in demonstrating the machine guns, allowing Williams to acquire them. Over a four-year period, from July 2018 to August 2022, Wendt allegedly sought to demonstrate or purchase around 90 machine guns for a police force serving a town of fewer than 800 residents.
Federal investigators allege Wendt and Williams hosted public “machine gun shoots,” charging attendees to fire the weapons – registered to the Adair Police Department and their respective gun stores. The goal, according to the indictment, was to stockpile the machine guns, intending to sell them later for a substantial personal profit. The FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge, Eugene Kowel, stated that Wendt “is charged with exploiting his position as chief of police to unlawfully obtain and sell guns for his own personal profit.”
Both Wendt and Williams are now facing federal charges. Wendt is charged with conspiracy to make false statements and defraud the ATF, as well as 18 counts of making a false statement to the ATF and one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. Williams is charged with three counts of making a false statement and aiding and abetting a false statement to the ATF. If convicted, Wendt faces a maximum of ten years in prison, while Williams faces a maximum of five years. Fred Winston, Special Agent in Charge, ATF – Kansas City Field Division, emphasized the importance of ATF vigilance in regulating firearms licensees.
The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikaela Shotwell and Ryan Leemkuil of the Southern District of Iowa, is the result of a joint investigation by the ATF and FBI. The investigation is ongoing. It is important to remember that an indictment is merely an allegation, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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