Carlos Abreau had no legal immigration status since he entered the U.S. Abreau didn’t make himself known until 2007 when his actions caused the New Jersey authorities to issue an arrest warrant on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault, endangering a child and criminal restraint, where upon Abreau disappeared and remained a fugitive from justice, until August of 2024 when he was found living in Florida under a stolen identity.
Abreau assumed the identity of a United States citizen living in Puerto Rico who did not know him. For nearly two decades up until his arrest, Abreau identified himself as that person to local, state and federal government agencies. He obtained a Florida driver’s license in 2007 using the citizen’s information and proceeded to enjoy all the benefits of being a United States license carrying citizen. Not only did he renew the license several times with the stolen identity, but he also registered to vote in 2016 and in 2022. He voted in federal elections both of those years. Under this assumed identity, Abreu also obtained a state concealed weapons permit and bought four guns.
In 2021, he tried to get passports for him and his two minor daughters. Abreu filed three separate passport applications in person at a post office in Broward County using the Puerto Rican man’s personal identifying information, including his date of birth, place of birth and Social Security number. He used the Florida driver’s license with the victim’s information during the application process.
On March 17, 2025, Abreau pleaded guilty to voter fraud, illegal gun possession, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements in support of a passport application.
Great job by the Department of Social Services in the Miami Field Office who investigated this case.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Broward man pleads guilty to voting illegally, identity theft of nearly two decades” published by South Florida Sun-Sentinel on March 17, 2025.
A Broward County resident living in the country illegally has pleaded guilty to federal charges after he voted in two elections by assuming the identity of a U.S. citizen. He moved to Florida from New Jersey, where authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Abreu in 2007 on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault, endangering a child and criminal restraint, federal prosecutors previously said.
He obtained a Florida driver’s license in 2007 using the citizen’s information, then later registered to vote in 2016 and renewed the registration in 2022. He voted in federal elections both of those years, prosecutors said in a news release Monday.
