Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Stoneham Store Break-in

A Lynn man pleaded guilty in Malden District Court on Thursday for breaking into a Stoneham cell phone store in 2013.

Frank Senibaldi, 46, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering a building in the nighttime, larceny over $250 (two counts), malicious destruction of property, possession of a burglarious instrument and leaving the scene causing personal injury.

Judge Douglas Wilkins sentenced Senibaldi “to five and a half to seven years in state prison followed by three years probation, with conditions to include that Senibaldi have no contact and stay away from the victim in this case,” according to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office.

“This defendant thought he had gotten away with thousands of dollars worth of inventory,” said District Attorney Marian Ryan. “What he did not know is that T-Mobile had heard about the theft of cell phones from stores elsewhere, and, being proactive, put GPS into some inventory at its store in Stoneham. This case was solved with good old fashioned police work and the use of new technology, the GPS devices which led police directly to Senibaldi.”

Stoneham Police Chief James McIntyre praised his department.

“Aggressive, diligent investigative work by Stoneham Police Detectives, working in partnership with the business community and our partners in neighboring communities, allowed us to bring a career criminal to justice in this case,” he said. “I am proud of the work that was put into this case, and I want to thank District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office for bringing the case forward to its conclusion.”

According to the DA’s office:

“On Sept. 9, 2013, the Stoneham Police Department received a call indicating that an alarm was going off at the T-Mobile store in Stoneham. Police officers went to the scene and confirmed a break-in and saw signs that merchandise had been stolen, but found no suspects.

“Detectives then activated the GPS system which had been planted in some cell phone inventory in the T-Mobile store and GPS showed the stolen merchandise was at a location on Route 128 near the Wakefield and Lynnfield town line. Police officers went to that location and found the defendant there involved in a motor vehicle accident. Police saw dozens of cell phones inside the vehicle, which had been driven by Senibaldi.”