FLORIDA
Former Miami-Dade Police Department Officer Michael Freshko on Monday entered a guilty plea to smuggling weapons using international flights to the Dominican Republic, according to officials.
Freshko is charged with conspiracy to unlawfully export firearms from the United States to the Dominican Republic, on flights from Miami International Airport.
Freshko, 48, entered his guilty plea in federal court. He is facing up to five years in prison, according to authorities.
Freshko also admitted that he and his co-conspirators smuggled six firearms from Miami International Airport to the Dominican Republic. The smuggled firearms consisted of four Glock .9 mm pistols, one Sig Sauer .9 mm pistol, and one Sig Sauer 5.56 rifle.
As part of his guilty plea, Freshko admitted that after receiving firearms from a co-conspirator, he used his official position as a police officer to transport the firearms past the passenger screening area and into the portion of Miami International Airport that housed the departure gates, officials said.
Freshko would deliver the firearms to a co-conspirator, who in turn would store the firearms within carry-on baggage.
Next, a co-conspirator would travel to the Dominican Republic aboard a commercial flight, with the firearms within carry-on baggage, according to officials.
After arriving in the Dominican Republic, a co-conspirator would deliver the firearms to an associate.
Freshko further admitted that one or more firearms were smuggled in this manner on October 5, 2012, and multiple firearms were smuggled on December 7, 2012.
*The case was investigated by law enforcement officers in South Florida and New Jersey. Mr. Greenberg thanked the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force; the MDPD Professional Compliance Bureau; the FBI Newark Division-Franklin Township Resident Agency; the Drug Enforcement Administration Newark Division-Patterson Post of Duty; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Davis.