JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — 28-year-old Francesca Charles of Jacksonville has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, and smuggling goods from the United States.
The plea follows an investigation that began in February 2025, when officials in the Dominican Republic seized 18 rifles, 5 handguns, firearms magazines, more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and a silencer. These items were found inside a shipping container that originated from Miami, Fla., and was destined for Haiti. The illicit firearms and ammunition were not declared on the shipping manifest, which instead listed household goods.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations identified Charles, Jacques Pierre, and Jeff Pierre as the purchasers of at least 20 of the 23 firearms recovered from the shipping container. Throughout their investigation, agents learned the defendants purchased at least 46 firearms between May 2024 and February 2025.
Records also showed that Pierre purchased two Barrett .50-caliber rifles. These are heavy-duty military-style weapons typically mounted on the tops of vehicles and used to further violence by gangs and cartels. One of the Barrett rifles was recovered from the shipment intercepted in February 2025. The second Barrett rifle was recovered in November 2025 during a clash involving Haitian police and an armed gang.
In related court proceedings, Pierre, 32, and his brother, Pierre, 34, both citizens of Haiti residing in Florida, have been charged. They face charges of conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, smuggling goods from the United States, and unlawfully shipping firearms. If convicted, each could receive a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. An indictment is a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Travel and shipping records indicated that the co-conspirators facilitated a shipment to Haiti shortly after purchasing a large number of firearms. They then traveled to Haiti around the time the shipment was scheduled to arrive. The records also showed that the defendants traveled to the Dominican Republic three days before the shipping container was intercepted.
Charles’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026.
Charles faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for her role in the illegal firearms scheme.
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