No charges for DOJ official for alleged gun sales

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin Department of Justice agent accused of illegally selling and manufacturing weapons won’t face criminal charges.

Assistant Attorney General Kevin Potter says the agency will now decide whether to launch an internal investigation into Jay Smith.

Potter made the comments Friday in a letter to the Wisconsin State Journal.

Smith was a supervisor in Superior when one of his agents reported he had been making and selling guns to other law officers without a federal permit. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been investigating Smith since December.

Potter’s letter says the criminal investigation into Smith’s activities is over, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota won’t be filing charges.

Dan Bethards, the agent who accused Smith, declined comment when reached by The Associated Press.