A Bristol County sheriff's office deputy was arrested this morning in connection with a long-running scheme of falsifying reports to the federal government to evade federal fishing quotas and then smuggling the profits to Portugal, according to the Department of Justice.

Sheriff's deputy Antonio Freitas, 46, of Taunton allegedly used his authority as Department of Homeland Security Task Force Officer to smuggle $17,500 through Logan Airport security and later deposited the money into a Portuguese bank account belonging to owner of one of the largest commercial fishing businesses in the United States, Carlos Rafael. Freitas was indicted on one count of bulk cash smuggling and one count of structuring the export of U.S. currency.

New Bedford business owner and Dartmouth native Carlos Rafael, 64, was arrested in February for allegedly falsifying documents to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), misreporting the quantity and species of 815,812 pounds of fish between 2012 and 2016. He would report that his boats were bringing in the cheaper and more abundant haddock to Carlos Seafood, Inc., when they were really carrying cod, sole, or other species subject to strict federal quotas designed to guarantee their sustainability.

Allegedly, Rafael then arranged to sell the fish to a wholesale business in New York City in exchange for cash. He was indicted on one count of conspiring to falsify reports submitted to the federal government, 25 counts of submitting falsified records and one count of bulk cash smuggling.

Submitting falsified federal records can result in up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy charges can result in a sentence of no more than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Actual sentences for federal crimes are often less than the maximum penalty.

The case is being prosecuted by Andrew E. Lelling, of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit, and David G. Tobin, of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.