Port St. Lucie resident Frederik Barbieri, 46, was indicted on charges relating to the illegal exportation of firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Peter J. Forcelli, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, and Diane J. Sabatino, Director, Field Operation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
More specifically, the four-count indictment charges Barbieri with one felony count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 (Count 1), one felony count of delivering firearms to a contract carrier without written notification that the shipment contained firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(e) (Count 2), one felony count of smuggling firearms and firearm accessories from the United States to Brazil, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 554 (Count 3), and one felony count of exporting firearms and firearm accessories without a license, in violation of Title 22, United States Code, Section 2778 (Count 4).
According to the indictment, Barbieri entered into a conspiracy to illegally export firearms to Brazil without a license. In furtherance of the conspiracy, which lasted from May 2013 to June 2017, Barbieri and his co-conspirators purchased firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition. They then obliterated the serial numbers from the firearms, and concealed the firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunitions in different packages. Barbieri and his co-conspirators would then ship the packages to Brazil, where Barbieri and his co-conspirators would sell such firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition at a profit.
It is further alleged in the indictment, that on May 26, 2017, Barbieri shipped a package concealing firearms and firearm accessories to Brazil without first obtaining a license to export those items and without notifying the contract carrier that the package contained firearms.
If convicted, Barbieri faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years on Counts 1 and 2, a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years on Count 3, and a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years on Count 4. Barbieri is scheduled to make his initial appearance on Feb. 27, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Chris M. McAliley.
Mr. Greenberg commended ICE-HSI, ATF, and CBP for their work on this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Shack.
An indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
