DES MOINES, Iowa –The Adair Police Chief was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison Wednesday for conspiracy, false statements to the ATF, and illegal possession of a machine gun.
According to public court filings and evidence produced at trial and sentence, Bradley Eugene Wendt, 47, has served as Adair, Iowa’s Chief of Police since July 2018. He also owns BW Outfitters, a federal guns licensee in Denison, Iowa. The evidence at trial revealed that between July 2018 and August 2022, Wendt exploited his position as Chief of Police to procure machine firearms for his own personal use and profit, including purchasing machine guns for his own store.
In general, it is unlawful to transfer or possess machine guns manufactured after May 1986. However, law enforcement agencies can purchase machine guns for official usage, and an authorized dealer can obtain machine guns to display to a police agency for potential future purchases. If a police force wishes to purchase or get a demonstration of a machine gun, it may send a letter to the ATF, known as a “law letter,” declaring its necessity and interest in the machine gun.
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Between July 2018 and August 2022, Wendt sent approximately 40 legal letters asking for the purchase or display of 90 machine weapons for the Adair Police Department. In the law letters to purchase machine guns for his two-man department, Wendt stated that he was purchasing the machine guns for official use by his department and not to resell.
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In the law letters asking for machine gun demonstrations, Wendt stated that the Adair Police Department wanted a demonstration in preparation for a future prospective purchase of the requested machine guns.
A jury determined that Wendt made false statements in numerous of the law letters, and convicted him of one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the ATF and eight counts of making false statements to the ATF. According to the evidence presented at trial, Wendt purchased machine guns for the Adair Police Department but then resold them for a personal profit of approximately $80,000.
The evidence also proved that Wendt utilized demonstration law letters to purchase machine guns for his own gun store, BW Outfitters, including a.50 caliber machine gun known as a “Ma Deuce,” which he immediately fitted to his personal armored Humvee.
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Wendt was also found guilty of one count of unauthorized possession of a machine gun due to his personal possession of a belt-fed, M60 machine gun registered to the Adair Police Department. Wendt and his gun store, BW Outfitters, staged a machine gun shoot in April 2022, charging the public to shoot machine guns, including four registered to the Adair Police Department. The jury determined that Wendt was not functioning within the scope of his official duties when he had the M60 machine gun.
Wendt was required to pay a $50,000 fine. Wendt will be compelled to serve a three-year supervised release period after completing his prison sentence. There is no parole under the federal system.
Eugene Kowel, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge, stated, “We expect law enforcement officers to carry out their oath to protect and serve our communities.” Instead, Brad Wendt violated the law and betrayed the community by illegally acquiring and selling firearms for personal gain. The FBI remains committed to vigorously investigating and prosecuting individuals who abuse their office for personal benefit.”
“Wendt was held accountable for committing a betrayal of the public’s trust by engaging in this machine gun trafficking scheme for personal gain,” remarked Gordon N. Mallory, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Division. “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.”
The statement was made by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ”
At its core, this case was about false statements, driven by the personal ambition of man who saw his badge as a means to an end, rather than a calling.,” said United States Attorney Richard Westphal, “Thank you to our dedicated law enforcement partners at FBI and ATF, and a hard-working prosecution team for pursuing a challenging case and holding Brad Wendt accountable.” The ATF and FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Mikaela Shotwell, Shai Gonzales, and Ryan Leemkuil.