Two Men Pardoned by Trump on Sept. 3 Denied by FBI When They Tried to Buy a Smith & Wesson and a Thompson Engraved With Trump’s Image
Key Takeaways
- The FBI denied firearm purchases by Pastor Russell Fincher and Patrick Adamiak, two men President Trump pardoned on Sept. 3, 2026.
- Adamiak attempted to buy an Auto-Ordnance Thompson engraved with Trump's image, while Fincher tried to buy a Smith & Wesson Victory handgun.
- ATF Director Robert Cekada told the Second Amendment Foundation that the FBI, not the ATF, is responsible for the denials.
- Adamiak was also denied by the Pennsylvania State Police background check system and filed a paper appeal allowing up to 30 days for a decision.
- The FBI has not explained the denials or responded to questions from the Second Amendment Foundation.
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
WASHINGTON, DC — The FBI has denied firearm purchases by Pastor Russell Fincher and Patrick “Tate” Adamiak, two men President Donald Trump pardoned on Sept. 3, 2026, according to the Second Amendment Foundation.
Adamiak tried to buy an Auto-Ordnance semi-automatic Thompson engraved with images of President Trump. Fincher tried to buy a Smith & Wesson Victory handgun. Each man completed an ATF Form 4473. Each was denied by the FBI.
The denials came nearly two months after the pardons were signed. SAF reports that neither man’s Second Amendment rights appear to have been fully restored. The FBI has not explained the denials or answered SAF’s emailed questions, so the account here rests on SAF’s reporting and the two men’s own statements.
ATF Director Robert Cekada told SAF his agency played no part in the decision.
“I am fully aware of that, but it has nothing to do with us,” Cekada said. “We don’t block anybody. The 4473 goes to the FBI. Anyone who gets a denial on a background check gets denied by the FBI.”
Fincher ordered his handgun through a local dealer. Now that sale is dead.
“It’s frustrating,” Fincher told SAF. “I told him he’s going to have to sell it to someone else. If I want to buy a firearm, I guess now I have to buy it from an individual.”
Adamiak hit a second wall at the state level. He said he was also denied by the Pennsylvania State Police instant background check system. Every state layers its own rules on top of federal law, and those rules vary widely, as my concealed carry permit information by state shows.
“I filled out an appeal and mailed it to the state,” Adamiak said. “They won’t accept digital submissions, and they have up to 30 days to make a decision.”
He said the state and federal systems are not communicating.
“We’re both cleared,” Adamiak said. “Every day we can’t get a firearm is a day we can’t defend ourselves. Our Second Amendment rights are being violated. We each have presidential pardons.”
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Both men did what the law asks of every buyer at a gun counter. They filled out the form and submitted to the check. The denials came anyway, and the FBI has not said why.
I will continue tracking whether the FBI responds and whether Fincher and Adamiak are cleared to complete their purchases.
Read the original story: Two Men Pardoned by Trump on Sept. 3 Denied by FBI When They Tried to Buy a Smith & Wesson and a Thompson Engraved With Trump’s Image