WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has joined the push for more information about a federal “sting” operation in Milwaukee.

In a letter to the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Johnson said he was troubled by some of the details in a report on the operation and requested a full briefing.

Johnson, R-Oshkosh, was referring to a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel story on Wednesday about the ATF undercover operation from a storefront dubbed Fearless Distributing. Ostensibly, the operation targeted illegal drugs and guns.

“Reports indicate that the operation did not lead to the apprehension of any major drug dealers, infiltrate any criminal gangs and resulted in criminal charges against only 30 individuals, primarily for relatively minor offenses,” Johnson wrote.

Johnson said he was disturbed by reports of damage to the property where the operation was set up and the theft of a handgun and automatic military-style rifle from an ATF agent’s vehicle last September.

“This occurrence is troubling — especially in light of what can only be characterized as BATF’s gross mismanagement of ‘Operation Fast and Furious,’” Johnson wrote, referring to a controversial ATF operation in which guns ended up in the hands of Mexican drug traffickers.

ATF spokeswoman Ginger Colbrun said the agency “is in receipt of the letter, and it’s being reviewed.”

Among his concerns over the operation, Johnson cited a grievance from David Salkin, who owns the storefront property leased by the ATF undercover agents.

Johnson said Salkin contacted his office in early January to complain about the ATF’s refusal to pay almost $15,000 Salkin said the agency owes him for utility bills and property damage, including holes in the walls and damage from an overflowing toilet.

“When Mr. Salkin attempted to settle the unpaid balance of these funds with local BATF officials, he was eventually threatened and told his actions amounted to harassment of BATF officials,” Johnson wrote.

Johnson said he wrote to the agency on Jan. 11 asking for a “full and fair investigation into the matter. To my knowledge, there has been no response to my office or Mr. Salkin concerning such an investigation.”

ATF officials on background disputed the key points in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel story and Salkin’s claims. The agency said the operation resulted in the arrests of 36 individuals, 25 of whom were convicted felons and four of whom were career criminals. The agency said 145 crime guns were taken off the streets and 56 grams of powder cocaine, 57 grams of heroin, 257 grams of crack cocaine, 268 ecstasy pills and 597 grams of marijuana were confiscated.

“In any type of major investigation in which we impact the community by taking off the streets 36 dangerous criminals, mistakes do happen,” ATF spokesman Rich Marianos said. “But in this case, many of the things reported are inaccurate. The ATF strongly takes issue that the agency corrupted the neighborhood, bullied the owner of the property and made other misguided decisions.”

Johnson’s letter sent Thursday comes as four other Republican members of Congress, including Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Menomonee Falls, are seeking answers to more than 25 questions related to the sting operation.

A letter signed by Sensenbrenner, Reps. Robert Goodlatte of Virginia and Darrell Issa of California and Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa also draws comparisons between the Milwaukee operation and Fast and Furious. The lawmakers questioned the leadership of ATF Acting Director B. Todd Jones, whom President Barack Obama recently named as permanent head of the agency.

“ATF needs strong leadership from its director and senior management,” the letter said. “If these reports are accurate, your ability to provide this leadership is in serious doubt.”

In a statement on the day the story broke, Sensenbrenner said the operation raises questions about the Obama administration’s ability to administer new gun laws the president wants enacted in response to the Newtown, Conn., elementary school massacre.

“The Obama administration wants to pass new gun laws and give new responsibilities to ATF, but the agency has been inept at enforcing the laws that we already have,” Sensenbrenner said. “Giving them more responsibility is like promoting someone who can’t do the job.”

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