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Port St. Lucie Man Smuggled Guns to Brazil
A 46-year-old Port St. Lucie resident has pleaded guilty to smuggling guns to Brazil. Frederik Barbieri faces a possible maximum statutory sentence of 25 years in prison.
According to court documents, Barbieri conspired with others to possess firearms with obliterated serial numbers, deliver packages containing those firearms to contract carriers for international shipment without providing notice that the packages contained firearms, and smuggle firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition from the United States to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
During this period, a shipment sent by Barbieri was intercepted in Rio de Janeiro by Brazilian law enforcement and found to contain approximately thirty AR-15 and AK-47 rifles and firearm magazines, all concealed in four 38-gallon Rheem water heaters. The water heaters were hollowed out and loaded with the contraband, and the serial numbers on each of the firearms had been obliterated.
In addition to shipping the four Rheem water heaters, Barbieri also shipped to Brazil an additional 120 Rheem water heaters, as well as 520 electric motors and 15 air conditioning units, from May of 2013 to May of 2017. These items are all consistent with objects used to conceal the illegal international shipment of firearms and ammunition.
Barbieri was arrested in February 2018, after federal agents executed a warrant to search a storage unit rented by him in Vero Beach, Florida. In the storage unit, law enforcement discovered 52 rifles, 49 of which were wrapped for shipment with obliterated serial numbers, as well as dozens of high capacity firearm magazines, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and packaging materials.
Barbieri’s sentencing is scheduled for July 19, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., by United States District Court Judge Federico A Moreno. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Shack.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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