ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida police officer faces up to five years in prison for selling guns to a “key member of a criminal conspiracy” who smuggled the guns into various countries in the Caribbean, the Department of Justice said.
According to the DOJ, Michael Adrian Nieto of St. Cloud, 31, pleaded guilty to dealing firearms without a license after he “repeatedly purchased and resold firearms to individuals.”
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Among those individuals was Ernesto Vazquez, who took the guns provided by Nieto and smuggled them into the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti.
“In addition, to benefit the conspiracy, Nieto corruptly used police databases to provide sensitive and confidential information to Vazquez,” the DOJ said.
Between June 6, 2022, and Sept. 4, 2024, Nieto is believed to have purchased nearly 60 guns, many of which were identical and purchased within close proximity of one another.
On Oct. 17, 2024, FBI agents interviewed Nieto, who admitted to buying and reselling the guns, including information that he sold them to Vazquez.
“Nieto also admitted that Vazquez had provided him with illegal items, including a machinegun conversion device,” the DOJ added.
The St. Cloud Police Department, where Nieto worked while committing the crime, released the following statement on the matter:
The St. Cloud Police Department (SCPD) has worked closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist them in their investigation regarding former officer Michael Nieto,” said St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke. “In the wake of the recent DOJ findings, we are conducting our own in-depth investigation into the matter. SCPD pledges to take immediate action should an officer act in a manner that could break a community’s trust, no matter their rank or tenure with the department.
St. Cloud Police Department
Nieto’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25.
