DES MOINES — Adare Police Chief Brad Wendt's trial on weapons charges began on Monday, February 5, and he was found guilty on 11 of 15 of the charges.
Federal prosecutors said Wendt used his position as Adair police chief to buy machine guns for his department, which he later sold at his gun store.
Wendt was acquitted on counts 2, 4, 5 and 7 and found guilty on all 11 other counts, according to court records.
Wendt used his position as Chief of Police for the City of Adair to make false statements and defraud the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (“ATF”) in order to obtain machine guns for personal gain. He was charged with conspiracy.
Counts 2 through 14 charge the defendants with making false statements to the ATF through purchase law letters and performance law letters. Count 15 — Illegal possession of a machine gun while hosting a public machine gun shoot in April 2022.
Wendt was hired as Adare Police Chief in 2018 and began buying guns soon after, according to government prosecutors. In his opening statement, Wendt used his position to buy guns, but his attorney said he did nothing illegal and had reported all of his weapon purchases and sales to the ATF. Ta.
Over the years, Wendt purchased a total of 90 guns for two Adair police officers. That includes his $80,000 electric Gatling machine gun, which can fire up to 6,000 rounds per minute. That machine gun was eventually installed in Wendt's personal SUV HumVee. Prosecutors said many of the guns were later sold at two gun stores run by him.
The jury reached its verdict Wednesday afternoon.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 14, and he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
