A Bowling Green man accused of international gun trafficking is no longer in custody. A federal judge on Friday morning granted bond to Adam Joseph Bunger.
Adam Bunger is accused of shipping firearms to England, Sweden, and Australia, all countries with stringent gun laws. He allegedly used a website called Black Market Reloaded to sell the weapons and used aliases to ship them overseas. The firearms were supposedly disassembled, and the parts hidden in video game consoles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo Lawless argued before U.S. District Judge Brent Brennenstuhl that Bunger should remain behind bars, claiming he was a flight risk and a danger to the community. She added that the government anticipates bringing additional charges.
“We have truly only scratched the surface,” said Lawless.
Not only was Bunger allegedly shipping firearms in illegal in other countries, Lawless said he was stripping the weapons of serial numbers. She also contended the investigation had turned up evidence of Bunger also trading in marijuana, fake IDs, and stolen credit cards.
Federal Public Defender Laura Wyrosdick argued that Bunger had virtually no criminal history, other than a DUI. She added the charges against him are not considered by the government to be crimes of violence, in reference to the prosecution’s contention that Bunger is a danger to the community.
Judge Brennenstuhl said he did have some concerns, but ultimately the government had not presented enough compelling evidence to keep Bunger behind bars.
“I’m taking a chance on you,” Brennenstuhl told Bunger.
The 33-year-old Bunger was ordered to live at his mother’s house in Bowling Green, not to travel outside the western district of Kentucky, and not to access the Internet.
Bunger was released on a $25,000 bond, pending the outcome of the case, which is scheduled to go before a grand jury in October.
