Dominican National Sentenced for Social Security Fraud and Identity Theft

Boston – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Frank Alejandro Brea Sabala, 37, a Dominican national who resided in Methuen, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to two years and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. In June 2019, Brea Sabala pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.

On the morning of Aug. 2, 2017, Brea Sabala submitted a handwritten application for a Massachusetts Motorcycle Permit at the Lawrence Registry of Motor Vehicles. On the application, Brea Sabala represented the name, date of birth and Social Security number of an individual from Puerto Rico as his own, and checked off that he was a United States citizen. Brea Sabala had previously obtained a Massachusetts license in the victim’s name. 

On Oct. 3, 2018, a search of Brea Sabala’s residence resulted in the recovery of expired Massachusetts licenses that were in the victim’s name and date of birth but contained Brea Sabala’s photograph, as well as a Social Security card and birth certificate in the name of the victim.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigation in Boston; and Methuen Police Chief Joseph E. Solomon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.