Freedom For
Patrick "Tate" Adamiak
An American Patriot
Patrick "Tate" Adamiak honorably served our country for over a decade on active duty in the U.S. Navy. In addition to his Naval career, Tate was an avid collector and enthusiast of historic military memorabilia. He owned a large assortment of inert non-functional military arms and replicas. None of these items ever posed a legal issue until April of 2022, when the ATF changed everything.
What Happened in 2022
In April of 2022, just days AFTER Tate was arrested and his home raided by dozens of armed agents, President Biden held an emergency press conference (unrelated to Tate). For the first time, the public saw Biden's attempt to weaponize the ATF to create federal gun restrictions completely unsupported by statute.
Through an illegal rule making process (27 C.F.R. 478.12) and without congressional consent, the ATF attempted to expand our nation's gun laws to deem incomplete, nonfunctional items as firearms. Importantly, this new definition doesn't even cover the replicas and non-functional relics Tate had in his collection; however, that didn't stop the ATF.
A Sentence Built on Injustice
Tate was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 20 YEARS in federal prison as a result of an unprecedented interpretation of 50+ year old laws. Federal courts later vacated the illegal ATF final rule as an unlawful extension of the ATF's authority — but Tate kept serving the sentence anyway, tangled in a judicial web of injustice.
Free, Four Years Later
On September 4, 2026, after 1,414 days behind bars and with 16 years still left to serve, President Donald J. Trump granted Tate a full and unconditional pardon. Every offense in United States v. Adamiak was wiped away, and Tate walked out the same day.
He has since said he has "completely lost faith in the justice system," and that he intends to keep pushing for accountability at the ATF and the Justice Department. He is also in contact with Navy recruiters about reinstatement — he was discharged with full honors despite the prosecution's attempts to taint his discharge board.