SANFORD, Fla. – The former vice president of the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegal possession of a slot machine and illegally structuring financial transactions as part of the Allied Veterans of the World Internet cafe scandal last year.
Robbie Freitas had been facing 15 counts but took a plea deal. As a result, he will avoid jail time. His sentencing is set for Nov. 24.
Meanwhile, former Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police President Nelson Cuba has a pretrial conference Sept. 11. He is among the last of the defendants whose case has not been adjudicated.
The trials of the others charged in the case will take place before Freitas' sentencing.
Freitas was arrested in March 2013 in the Internet cafe scheme. He was accused of setting up a business that donated money to a legitimate charity and stealing it. He retired from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office after his arrest.
Cuba's case is among the few that remain open in the investigation that dismantled a $300 million operation, netted 57 arrests, brought a six-year prison sentence for Jacksonville attorney Kelly Mathis and led to the resignation of former Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll.
Freitas' plea deal is similar to dozens of others made in the Allied Veterans case.
Prosecutors said Cuba and Freitas were linked to five Allied Veterans affiliates -- three in Duval County and two in Nassau -- and deposited $576,100 into an FOP Foundation account between Sept. 4, 2009 and Dec. 30, 2011,
followed by $571,400 in withdrawals.
The withdrawals were made every week or two, all in round amounts below $10,000.
Prosecutors released this photo they say
shows Robbie Freitas withdrawing $8,800
from the FOP account on Oct. 6, 2010.