MIAMI – A former Miami-Dade police officer who is accused of helping smuggle firearms to the Dominican Republic pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to unlawfully exporting firearms.
According to a news release by the Department of Justice, by pleading guilty, Michael Freshko admits that he used his position as a police officer to transport firearms past the TSA screening area at Miami International Airport and would hand off the guns to a co-conspirator near the departure gates.
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Prosecutors said the co-conspirator would store the guns in carry-on baggage.
The same co-conspirator would travel to the Dominican Republic aboard a commercial flight and deliver the guns to an associate, prosecutors said.
Department of Justice officials said Freshko confessed to smuggling one or more guns on Oct. 5, 2012, and multiple guns on Dec. 7, 2012.
Prosecutors said six guns were smuggled in all, including four Glock .9 mm pistols, one Sig Sauer .9 mm pistol and one Sig Sauer 5.56 rifle.
Freshko faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison when he is sentenced.
Freshko was hired by the Police Department in September 2004 and was most recently assigned to the Airport District.
He was relieved of duty by the Miami-Dade Police Department on Dec. 7, 2015.