JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms firearms out of the United States.
Francesca Charles, 28, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for her involvement in an operation to illegally send firearms from the United States to Haiti.
According to court documents, officials in the Dominican Republic seized 18 rifles, five handguns, firearm magazines, more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition and a silencer in February 2025. These items were discovered inside a shipping container sent from Miami, Fla., and destined for Haiti, which was falsely listed as containing household goods on its manifest, according a news release.
Agents with the ATF and Homeland Security Investigations learned that Charles, Jacques Pierre and Jeff Pierre were the purchasers of at least 20 of the 23 firearms seized from the shipping container, the news release states.
The investigation revealed that the defendants purchased at least 46 firearms between May 2024 and February 2025, with most being the same make and model as those recovered in the Dominican Republic.
Charles alone purchased at least 24 of these 46 firearms, the news release states. Among the purchases, Pierre acquired two Barrett .50-caliber rifles. These heavy-duty, military-style weapons are typically mounted on vehicles and used in furtherance of violence by gangs and cartels. One of these Barrett rifles was found in the February 2025 shipment, while the second was recovered in November 2025 during a clash between Haitian police and an armed gang, the news release states.
Travel and shipping records indicated that the co-conspirators facilitated a shipment to Haiti shortly after purchasing a large number of firearms. They then traveled to Haiti around the time the shipment was scheduled to arrive. Additionally, travel records showed the defendants went to the Dominican Republic three days before the shipping container was intercepted.
In related court proceedings, Pierre, 32 and his brother, Pierre, 34, both citizens of Haiti residing 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 man faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Charles’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026.
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