Federal prosecutors have accused a small-town Wisconsin police chief of assisting two California brothers in an illegal scheme to import nearly half a million armor-piercing rounds from Europe.
Background of the Case
The Dowd brothers, Jacob and Darin, operated a gun dealership in Vacaville, California. In June 2021, Jacob Dowd applied to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for permission to import approximately 490,000 armor-piercing rounds from Smart Energeo Sistemi, a Bosnian arms company. Federal law generally prohibits the importation of such ammunition, but an exception exists for law enforcement agencies.
The brothers' application claimed the ammunition was intended for “law enforcement sales” and included a purchase order for 1.5 million rounds from James Bushey, then chief of police in the Town of Linn, Wisconsin—a community of about 2,700 people. This purchase order raised suspicions, leading the ATF to halt the importation.
Allegations Against the Chief
Prosecutors allege that the Dowds approached Bushey through a middleman, identified only as J.W. in court documents but reported by news outlets to be one of Bushey's former roommates. The brothers promised Bushey money for squad cars and equipment to advance his career if he signed a fake purchase order to support their import application. Bushey agreed and created a fraudulent order on department letterhead.
A search warrant indicated that the town board approved the deal after Bushey told members the Dowds would donate the ammunition to the police department. However, Bushey did not disclose that he would receive payments for the fraudulent purchase order. The brothers intended to sell the ammunition to other buyers, though prosecutors have not named those buyers or suggested the ammunition was meant for an attack.
Legal Proceedings
Darin Dowd was charged with conspiracy in July 2023 and pleaded guilty in October. He has not yet been sentenced. Jacob Dowd was charged with conspiracy last week and has agreed to plead guilty during a May 19 hearing. Each faces up to five years in federal prison.
Attorneys for Jacob Dowd, Julian Linnen, and Darin Dowd, Paul Jannuzzo, did not respond to requests for comment. Bushey has not been charged. The Associated Press could not locate contact information for him or his attorney. Linn's interim police chief, Graham Gunyon, confirmed that Bushey left the department voluntarily and was replaced by Jon Albrecht in March 2022. Albrecht left in March to become chief in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Gunyon declined to provide Bushey's contact information or comment on his alleged role.
Steve Caballero, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office in Milwaukee, declined to comment on whether Bushey is under investigation. An FBI spokesperson did not respond to a message.
