California brothers Jacob and Darin Dowd are facing up to five years in prison for their involvement in a scheme to illegally import nearly half a million armor-piercing rounds into the United States. The plot, which came to light in June 2021, involved using a fraudulent purchase order from James Bushey, then police chief of the small Town of Linn, Wisconsin, to bypass federal import prohibitions on such ammunition.
The Scheme
According to prosecutors, the Dowds approached Bushey with an offer of money for police equipment in exchange for his signature on a fake order. The order falsely stated that the ammunition was intended for "law enforcement sales," thereby attempting to circumvent strict federal regulations that ban the importation of armor-piercing bullets for civilian use.
Discovery and Investigation
The plot was uncovered when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) flagged an unusually large order from a small police department. The Town of Linn, with its limited resources, had neither the intention nor the funds to purchase such a massive quantity of ammunition. The ATF promptly halted the importation, which involved approximately 490,000 rounds from Smart Energeo Sistemi, an arms company based in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Legal Proceedings
Darin Dowd has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges, while Jacob Dowd has agreed to plead guilty. Both brothers face up to five years in federal prison. Former Chief Bushey has not been charged, and authorities have declined to comment on whether he is under investigation. The case highlights the ongoing efforts by federal agencies to prevent illegal arms trafficking and enforce strict gun control laws.
