Adair Police Chief and BW Outfitters owner Brad Wendt was found guilty in federal court today (Wednesday) for fraudulently obtaining National Firearms Act (NFA)-regulated machine guns. Wendt was found guilty of 11 of the 15 charges that had been levied against him for abusing his status as a police chief to acquire nearly 100 machine guns for himself, his store locations in Denison and Anita, and Williams Contracting, which is owned by his friend Robert Williams. The charges stem from a lengthy investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), that culminated with a joint raid on Aug. 31, 2022, at Wendt’s store locations, Wendt’s home, the Adair Police Department, and Williams’s home. Wendt faces significant prison time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 14.
