President Donald Trump has pardoned former U.S. Navy sailor Patrick “Tate” Adamiak, immediately ending a 20-year federal prison sentence of which 16 years remained. The pardon restores freedom to a decorated veteran who has always maintained he never committed a crime.
Adamiak enlisted at 17, rose to E-6 Master-at-Arms, earned a bachelor’s degree, and was pursuing a master’s while on track for an officer’s commission in Naval Special Warfare. He built a lawful business selling military surplus and parts as one of GunBroker’s top 500 dealers. He never sold a functional firearm. A confidential informant working off his own charges saw replica grenade launchers and belt-fed machine guns at Adamiak’s home. Adamiak told him they were non-firing toys. The ATF then launched what Adamiak called a “fishing expedition.”
Agents later claimed a legally purchased, unregulated PPSh-41 barrel shroud was a machine gun to obtain a warrant. More than 40 officers from multiple agencies raided his properties and found no working machine guns or destructive devices. They seized replica collections, savings, and even an antique currency collection, making it hard for him to hire counsel. After an initial 33-machine-gun indictment collapsed in the face of expert testimony from former ATF official Dan O’Kelly, prosecutors reindicted him on narrower charges and blocked key defense evidence.
At trial, prosecutors allegedly twisted facts: calling GunBroker the “dark web,” recasting Navy pay as trafficking proceeds, using his service against him, and implying Nazi sympathies from inherited World War II trophies. Jurors were shown replica photos labeled as real machine guns. Adamiak was convicted anyway.
The Second Amendment Foundation published more than 60 stories documenting the case. SAF founder Alan Gottlieb called the pardon a humanitarian correction of “a government wrong.” Adamiak, now free, plans to continue his legal fight as a man whose convictions have been wiped away. His attorney Calum Welch said he is proud Adamiak is finally home where he belongs.