U.S. Attorney Ed Yarbrough and MNPD chief Ronal Serpas announce the indictments at ATF’s Brentwood office.
A Metro Police officer was indicted Tuesday for his role in a gun smuggling ring. Edwing Morales was fired earlier this month.
The U.S. Attorney for Middle Tennessee alleges Morales was part of a five-man scheme. Julio Cesar Rojas-Lopez recruited Morales and three naturalized citizens from Guatemala to go to gun shops and purchase pistols and ammunition. In all, the ring smuggled at least 18 pistols into Guatemala to supply drug cartels. Five other guns were confiscated by federal agents.
Metro Police chief Ronal Serpas says Morales didn’t use his official capacity as an officer to get guns, but he did lie about his intent for the weapons.
“I think it was stupid to be involved in this criminal enterprise and think you could get away with it, and I’m very glad that the ATF, the federal US Attorney found this out quickly and moved on it.”
The investigation began last October. At the time Morales had only been a police officer for one year.
The five men have turned themselves in and face a maximum of 10 years in prison and up to a million dollar fine. The naturalized citizens face possible deportation if convicted.
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