Former police officer pleads guilty to smuggling guns to the Dominican Republic

Michael Freshko, a former Miami-Dade police officer assigned to Miami International Airport, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to using his position to smuggle weapons to the Dominican Republic.

He now faces up to five years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Freshko, 48, was arrested last month and charged with conspiracy after investigators say he used his position to evade security checks and worked with co-conspirators to illegally export guns out of the country.

In 2015, Freshko, who was hired by Miami-Dade police in 2004 and promoted to sergeant in 2010, was taken off his post at the airport and put on desk duty.

As part of the plea, Freshko admitted to taking six guns on two different dates — once in October 2012 and again in December 2012 — to the Dominican Republic. He said he took the guns past the security check before giving them to a co-conspirator, who put them in carry-on luggage.

The smuggled firearms included four Glock .9 mm pistols, one Sig Sauer .9 mm pistol, and one Sig Sauer 5.56 rifle.

This story was originally published June 12, 2017 at 9:40 PM with the headline "Former police officer pleads guilty to smuggling guns to the Dominican Republic."