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Former Bel Aire police chief indicted in firearms-buying case
By The News staff
Last Updated: April 30, 2015

The criminal firearms case involving the Bel Aire Police Department widened this week.

The former chief and a third former officer of the department were indicted April 28 on federal charges.

The indictment alleges that former chief John R. Daily, 62, of Haysville, and former officer Ricky L. Swanson, 39, of Wichita, conspired to buy firearms at a discount by claiming the weapons were the property of the police department and would be used for law enforcement purposes, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said in a news release.

Daily and Swanson are the third and fourth defendants charged in the case. Both of them are charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud.

Also charged in the case are Nathan A. Mavia, 26, of Wichita, and Robert McCaslin, 41, also of Wichita and a former Valley Center police officer.

The indictment alleges Daily, who was chief from May 2006 to December 2013, signed paperwork for the purchase of three Sig Sauer Model 716 Patrol, 7.62 mm rifles, falsely stating that the military style weapons were being purchased for use by the police department and would not be sold. In fact, the rifles were not approved for officers to carry on duty. By misrepresenting the rifles as police department property, the defendants were able to take advantage of special pricing and tax exemptions, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The indictment alleges Swanson, who worked as an officer from November 2006 to December 2013, ignored an interim police chief's directions to cancel the order. Instead, he directed two of the rifles to be delivered to another location so he could take possession. He kept one of the rifles and sold the other one.

If convicted, Daily and Swanson face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.





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