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.
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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.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations determined that Charles and two others, identified in court papers as Jacques Pierre and Jeff Pierre, were the purchasers of at least 20 of the 23 firearms seized from the container.
Investigators say the defendants bought at least 46 firearms between May 2024 and February 2025, most matching the make and model of weapons recovered from the shipment. Thirty-seven of those purchases occurred between Aug. 9, 2024, and Feb. 10, 2025. Charles is accused of buying at least 24 of the 46 firearms.
Records also show Jacques Pierre purchased two Barrett .50-caliber rifles — heavy-duty, military-style weapons often mounted on vehicles and used by gangs and cartels. One of those rifles was recovered in the February 2025 seizure; the second was recovered in November 2025 during a clash between Haitian police and an armed gang, the documents say.
Travel and shipping records allegedly show the co‑conspirators arranged a shipment to Haiti soon after buying a large number of firearms and traveled to Haiti around the time the shipment was due to arrive. The records also indicate the defendants traveled to the Dominican Republic three days before the container was intercepted.
In related proceedings, Jacques Pierre, 32, and his brother, Jeff Pierre, 34, both Haitian citizens living in Florida, have been charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, smuggling goods from the United States and unlawfully shipping firearms. If convicted, each faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.