Florida man headed to prison for shipping guns in water heaters

Man shipped AR-15s and AK-47s

MIAMI, Fla. – A Florida man faces up to 25-years in prison for conspiring to smuggle weapons to a foreign country and violating firearm export licensing laws.

Frederik Barbieri, 47 was arrested at his Port St. Lucie home in February. He pleaded guilty to two counts related to the smuggling of hundreds of AR-15s and AK-47s in water heaters to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A report in the Miami Herald states Barbieri was one of Brazil's biggest firearm dealers. Brazilian authorities say one of Barbieri's shipments was intercepted and police found 30 guns, along with firearm magazines, all hidden in four 38-gallon water heaters.

The Department of Homeland Security then searched Barbieri's warehouse in Vero Beach and found 52 rifles with obliterated serial numbers.

Click here to read more of the Miami Herald story.