|
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,370 Likes: 4
Campfire Tracker
|
OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,370 Likes: 4 |
Small town Iowa police chief charged with lying to ATF to get 90 machine guns for department with 3 officershttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news...y-wendt-atf-90-machine-guns/10906567002/A small Iowa town of 800 residents likely has no need for a police force armed with 90 machine guns to keep the peace.
That, at least, is the view of federal prosecutors, who on Wednesday announced the indictment of Adair Chief of Police Bradley Wendt on charges of making false statements to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to obtain numerous machine guns over a four-year period on behalf of the Adair Police Department, which during Wendt's tenure has never had more than three officers.
Instead, according to prosecutors, weapons were resold for profit through Wendt's private gun store or another store owned by a friend who also is facing charges.
According to court filings and a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wendt used his position as police chief to obtain 10 machine guns for the official use of the police department, but later resold at least six of those weapons for "significant profit." Prosecutors say Wendt sought to purchase or demonstrate approximately 90 machine guns between July 2018 and August 2022. Some of the weapons were used for public machine gun shoots, where Wendt and Williams charged customers money to be able to fire the weapons.
The indictment describes the firearms as fully automatic weapons not legally available to the public, including an M60 machine gun, a belt-fed weapon widely used by the U.S. military since the Vietnam war that was purportedly obtained for official use by the Adair Police Department.
Wendt instead had the M60 mounted on his personally owned armored Humvee.
Wendt also sought repeatedly to obtain for the department a rotary M134 minigun capable of firing 50 rounds per second, usually mounted on military helicopters. The ATF denied the requested transfer.
"The Adair Police Department does not own a helicopter," the indictment notes.
At least some of the weapons purportedly obtained for the police department were bought with Wendt's personal funds, and it is not clear if city money was involved in the purchases.
Remember why, specifically, the Bill of Rights was written...remember its purpose. It was written to limit the power of government over the individual.
There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 10,092 Likes: 15
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 10,092 Likes: 15 |
"I love that oldtime Rock and Roll!"
Ignorance can be fixed. Stupid is forever!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189 |
I, for one, trust the plan.
I belong on eroding granite, among the pines.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,513
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,513 |
There's trouble is in River City . . .
Old guy, old guns.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,574 Likes: 26
Campfire Kahuna
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,574 Likes: 26 |
"I love that oldtime Rock and Roll!" These days I can't afford the ammo.
βIn a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.β β George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 42,373 Likes: 81
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 42,373 Likes: 81 |
That's a lot of machine guns. Thinking he has a financial backer. Would you think I was crazy if I suggested that financier was an ATF agent?
Make Gitmo Great Again!! Who gave the order to stop counting votes in the swing states on the night of November 3/4, 2020?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 34,361 Likes: 10
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 34,361 Likes: 10 |
It's from USA Today.
Machine Guns to them mean what?
Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give a man a welfare check, a forty ounce malt liquor, a crack pipe, an Obama phone, free health insurance. and some Air Jordan's and he votes Democrat for a lifetime.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,550 Likes: 32
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,550 Likes: 32 |
It's from USA Today.
Machine Guns to them mean what? Well, one was an M-60 and he tried to get a mini gun. Others were used for full auto shooting by customers in his store. So yeah, likely some were "real" machine guns.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
member of the cabal of dysfunctional squirrels?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 27,091
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 27,091 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189 |
That's a lot of machine guns. Thinking he has a financial backer. Would you think I was crazy if I suggested that financier was an ATF agent? I'd buy that. In my mind its more likely that he had "private investors" who were illegal weapons dealers. I think this happens way more often than conservatives want to admit. It's the nature of creating a bullshiit law and then giving one group a loophole.
I belong on eroding granite, among the pines.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,574 Likes: 26
Campfire Kahuna
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,574 Likes: 26 |
Since they're real full auto guns, the buyers are also in deep crap. This is from the link: Wendt instead had the M60 mounted on his personally owned armored Humvee. I can see why the ATF would object to that. I haven't shot an M60 since I was in the army in the early 70's.
βIn a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.β β George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,550 Likes: 32
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 45,550 Likes: 32 |
That's a lot of machine guns. Thinking he has a financial backer. Would you think I was crazy if I suggested that financier was an ATF agent? I'd buy that. In my mind its more likely that he had "private investors" who were illegal weapons dealers. I think this happens way more often than conservatives want to admit. It's the nature of creating a bullshiit law and then giving one group a loophole. You don't say. But, the popo is special.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
member of the cabal of dysfunctional squirrels?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 96,104 Likes: 19
Campfire Oracle
|
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 96,104 Likes: 19 |
That's a lot of machine guns. Thinking he has a financial backer. Would you think I was crazy if I suggested that financier was an ATF agent?
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the left.
A Nation which leaves God behind is soon left behind.
"The Lord never asked anyone to be a tax collector, lowyer, or Redskins fan".
I Dindo Nuffin
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,189 |
That's a lot of machine guns. Thinking he has a financial backer. Would you think I was crazy if I suggested that financier was an ATF agent? I'd buy that. In my mind its more likely that he had "private investors" who were illegal weapons dealers. I think this happens way more often than conservatives want to admit. It's the nature of creating a bullshiit law and then giving one group a loophole. You don't say. But, the popo is special. Special, indeed. I liked it better when we called retards retards and faags faags.
I belong on eroding granite, among the pines.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,246 Likes: 8
Campfire 'Bwana
|
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 32,246 Likes: 8 |
All those machine guns but 3 or 4 were surplus, right?
The only true cost of having a dog is its death.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 3,198 Likes: 1
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 3,198 Likes: 1 |
I've been to and through Adair many times, being on I80 between Omaha and Chicago it gets more than its share of problem children driving through. For that I can see the armored Humvee and the M-60 as they could be deployed in place of stop sticks for chases emanating from Des Moines or Omaha. But 8 "machine guns" per officer is a little much, especially if the tax payers are picking up the tab. If it is from pull tabs, then no problem.
It is odd that the chief has remained in office this long as this investigation first came to light last summer. One would think the city would have taken steps to remove him long ago. I'll have to ask my buddies down there about this, it should be interesting their take on the matter.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 10,219 Likes: 8
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 10,219 Likes: 8 |
That type stuff happened all the time back in the 60s -80s in my area. I knew officers that used the police force to buy personal guns, and it was OK as long as they didn't use city funds and paid for the gun themselves.. They weren't full auto for the most part, but I'm sure it happened. Gun sellers were more than happy to sell to police. That guy was just begging to get his a** in a sling with today's ATF.
Last edited by reivertom; 12/17/22.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,370 Likes: 4
Campfire Tracker
|
OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,370 Likes: 4 |
The chief was placed on leave on after the search warrants were issued. https://www.swiowanewssource.com/atlantic/news/article_83701520-c625-59a1-8bfe-bb09cbe08db4.htmlSep 10, 2022
ADAIR β The police chief for the city of Adair is on leave after agents with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed search warrants at the chiefβs office in Adair City Hall, and four other locations on Wednesday, Aug. 31. The five federal search warrants were executed in western and southwestern Iowa on including his office at the Adair city hall, in the 300 block of Audubon Street, Adair; the two gun shops, one located in the 300 block of Truman Road, Anita and one in the 1100 block of 4th Avenue South, Denison. One was in the 2700 block of Highway 59, Denison and the 3000 block of 370th Street and Manning. Wendt is the president of BW Outfitters, Inc., and owns gun shops in Anita and Denison.
John Ham, Public Information Officer with the ATFβs Kansas City Field Division, said there was no further information he could release at this time, as the investigation was on-going. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa would be releasing information when the investigation was complete.
BW Outfittersβ gun shops is located at 309 Truman Road, Anita and 1118 4th Avenue South, Denison. The businessβs corporate address is listed as being in the 2700 block of Highway 59 in Denison.
The companyβs website said the original location was at Wendtβs brotherβs lumberyard and hardware business, but after three add-ons to that location, and with a 5,000 gun inventory, he added a location in Denison that opened in 2014.
Wendt said on the website, βWeβre up to about a $10 million a year in business, and 80-85 percent of that is on GunBroker.com.β He said he had about 30,000 plus customers, and that he worked with distributors to find hard to get guns for customers. In addition to selling guns, the Denison location includes a four lane inside shooting range as well.
Remember why, specifically, the Bill of Rights was written...remember its purpose. It was written to limit the power of government over the individual.
There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,952 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,952 Likes: 3 |
One would think the city would have taken steps to remove him long ago. Could be the city movers and shakers liked to shoot machine guns from time to time.
GOA
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 26,129 Likes: 21
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 26,129 Likes: 21 |
So, the guy is buying post 1986 class III weapons and reselling them?
And the buyers don't have a clue that they are supposed to apply for and receive a tax stamp?
No sympathy for any involved, except the taxpayers supporting the prison they are headed to.
People who choose to brew up their own storms bitch loudest about the rain.
|
|
|
|
629 members (10gaugemag, 12344mag, 1100mag, 10gaugeman, 01Foreman400, 64 invisible),
18,953
guests, and
1,375
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,194,981
Posts18,540,068
Members74,053
|
Most Online21,066
|
|
|
|