Des Moines Sun

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Adair Police Chief was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to make false statements to the ATF, making false statements to the ATF, and illegal possession of a machine gun.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, since July 2018, Bradley Eugene Wendt, 47, has been the Chief of Police for Adair, Iowa. He is also the owner of BW Outfitters, a federal firearms licensee in Denison, Iowa. Evidence at trial showed that between July 2018 and August 2022, Wendt used his position as Chief of Police to obtain machine guns for his own personal use and profit, including buying machine guns for his own store.

Generally, machine guns made after May 1986 are illegal to transfer and possess. However, law enforcement agencies can buy machine guns for their official use and an authorized dealer can get machine guns to demonstrate to a police department for potential future purchase. If a police department wants to purchase or receive a demonstration of a machine gun, it can submit a letter to ATF expressing its need for and interest in the machine gun.

Between July 2018 and August 2022, Wendt wrote nearly 40 such letters requesting the purchase or demonstration of 90 machine guns for the Adair Police Department. In these letters, Wendt claimed he was buying the machine guns for official departmental use and not for resale. In letters requesting demonstrations of machine guns, he indicated that the department wanted demonstrations for potential future purchases.

A jury found that Wendt made false statements in several of these letters. He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the ATF and eight counts of making false statements to the ATF. Evidence showed that Wendt purchased machine guns purportedly for the Adair Police Department but later resold them at a personal profit of nearly $80,000. Additionally, he used demonstration law letters to acquire machine guns for his own store BW Outfitters, including a .50 caliber “Ma Deuce” which he mounted on his personally owned armored Humvee.

Wendt was also convicted of one count of illegal possession based on his personal possession of an M60 belt-fed machine gun registered to the Adair Police Department. Along with BW Outfitters, Wendt hosted a public event in April 2022 where attendees were charged fees to shoot various firearms registered under the police department.

Wendt has been ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. After completing his prison term, he will serve three years under supervised release; there is no parole in the federal system.

"We expect law enforcement officers to uphold their oath," said 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 personal profit."

Gordon N. Mallory from ATF’s Kansas City Division stated: "Wendt was held accountable for committing a betrayal... this sentence sends a loud message: if they betray their oath... they will be held accountable."

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal remarked: "This case was about false statements driven by personal ambition... Thank you to our dedicated partners at FBI and ATF... holding Brad Wendt accountable." The case was investigated by ATF and FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mikaela Shotwell, Shai Gonzales, and Ryan Leemkuil.

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