Former Michigan police chief pleads guilty to fraud involving gun sales

Robert J. Reznick accused of selling weapons he purchased with discount

OAKLEY, Mich. – A former police chief of a small Michigan town allegedly obtained guns with a discount to sell them for profit.

Robert J. Reznick, of Swartz Creek, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax fraud.

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Reznick was a police chief in the Village of Oakley in Saginaw County. According to court records, he would buy firearms, ammunition and other equipment with a discount he received as the chief. He would sell the weapons to reserve officers to make a profit.

Reznick also allegedly facilitated the sale of shotguns from an out-of-state vendor, evading federal and state taxes.

The Village of Oakley had less than 300 people, but Reznick maintained a roster of about 120 reserve officers, many of whom were affluent professionals or prominent individuals who lived outside and away from Oakley, records show.

He allegedly also willfully filed a false income tax return in 2012 and said he under-reported his income on tax returns for different years.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Reznick's false reporting resulted in about a $87,702 tax loss.