Iowa Police Chief Sold Department’s Machine Guns for Profit, Officials Say

In all, Mr. Wendt purchased 10 machine weapons for the police division, tried to purchase 15 further weapons and requested the demonstration of 65 weapons, in keeping with the indictment. However in actuality, he bought six machine weapons registered to the Adair Police Division for private revenue, making 1000’s of {dollars}; rented out machine weapons in trade for cash; and supposed to stockpile weapons to promote at a later date, the indictment mentioned.

“In reality, the Adair Police Division was not inquisitive about and was not contemplating buying the machine weapons recognized within the demonstration legislation letters,” the indictment mentioned. “Somewhat, the true goal of the demonstration legislation letters was for Wendt to amass machine weapons for his private use, enjoyment, revenue and achieve.”

In keeping with a Justice Division information launch, Mr. Wendt additionally “exploited his place” as police chief to acquire 10 machine weapons for Williams Contracting L.L.C., a federally licensed firearms supplier operated by Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams solicited the mandatory legislation letters from Mr. Wendt, who falsely said within the letters that the Adair Police Division wished an illustration of machine weapons for potential future buy, in keeping with court docket paperwork. Mr. Williams was additionally accused of meaning to stockpile the weapons and promote them for a revenue.

In a single occasion, Mr. Wendt, utilizing his personal cash, purchased three machine weapons for $2,080 every in December 2020 beneath the guise of official duties. Eight months later, Mr. Wendt bought two of them to a Florida-based purchaser for $50,000.

Most of the weapons weren’t meant to be used by the general public.

In keeping with the indictment, Mr. Wendt contacted a machine gun producer in January 2021 and inquired about shopping for a weapon often known as a minigun, which prosecutors described as “an electrical motor pushed Gatling gun designed for velocity and accuracy” that has {a magazine} capability of 4,000 rounds and a hard and fast firing charge of fifty rounds per second. This kind of machine gun is utilized by the U.S. navy and is often mounted on helicopters; the Adair Police Division doesn’t personal a helicopter. Mr. Wendt put down a $40,000 deposit for the $80,000 gun. In his legislation letter, Mr. Wendt mentioned the gun was “appropriate for engagements and suppressive hearth.”

The A.T.F. rejected the acquisition as a result of the minigun was “not appropriate for legislation enforcement use.”

And but, making the machine weapons out there to the general public was precisely what Mr. Wendt and Mr. Williams did, officers mentioned.

In April 2022, Mr. Wendt and Mr. Williams hosted a public machine gun taking pictures occasion in Woodbine, Iowa, permitting patrons to fireside quite a lot of the machine weapons in trade for cash.

Among the many weapons was a .50-caliber belt-fed machine gun that Mr. Wendt had claimed was wanted for demonstration to the police division. In his legislation letter, Mr. Wendt mentioned the gun was “ideally suited” for the division “based mostly on its value and availability.” Mr. Wendt paid $17,896 for the gun. He mounted it to his armored Humvee and charged individuals $5 per spherical.