JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, as well as to separate counts of unlawfully shipping firearms and smuggling goods from the United States, the Department of Justice said.
Francesca Charles, 28, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18.
Court documents say that in February 2025 officials in the Dominican Republic seized 18 rifles, five handguns, firearms magazines, more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition and a silencer from a container shipped from Miami that was destined for Haiti. The shipping manifest listed household goods, not weapons…