The jury convicted Adair Police Chief Brad Wendt, 47, of conspiring to make false statements to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, making false statements to the agency, and illegal possession of a machine gun. He was convicted on 11 of 15 charges.

Wendt was indicted in December 2022, accused of lying to the bureau in official letters asking to buy the machine guns or to see them demonstrated.

Authorities say he bought machine guns for the police department, then sold them for an almost $80,000 personal profit. Trial evidence showed he bought machine guns for his gun store, including a .50-caliber machine gun he mounted to his own armored Humvee, using the letters, federal prosecutors said.

  • BigDiction@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Yeah just pure profiteering, selling receivers with legal MG serial numbers.

    It’s the same BS in California. Handgun roster requires manufacturers complete ‘safety testing’ in order to certify their models approved for sale. Manufacturers largely don’t comply. Naturally, law enforcement is exempt from the same purchasing requirements.

    Cops get Gen 5 Glocks while normal folks can purchase Gen 3 models. Then sell them privately to flip for profit.