A father and son who own two restaurants in Woburn pleaded guilty this week in federal court to smuggling migrants into the country.
Jesse James Moraes, 66, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiring to encourage migrants from Brazil to come to the United States for financial gain, according to information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
The father, Jesse Moraes, also admitted to a money laundering conspiracy.
The agreement comes about two years after the men were first charged in the case involving their restaurants, Taste of Brazil and The Dog House Bar and Grill. Prosecutors said the men were involved in a conspiracy that included recruiting undocumented migrants, charging up to $22,000 to smuggle them into the U.S., and having them work long hours, sometimes for little or no pay.
The U.S. attorney’s office later upgraded charges to include forced labor and trafficking allegations after several anti-trafficking advocates told GBH News that signs of abuse pointed to more serious offenses. The story was part of an investigation that found evidence of widespread exploitation in Massachusetts with little accountability.
The plea deal, available in online court records, shows that prosecutors agreed to dismiss the more serious charges of forced labor and trafficking, and recommend leniency in sentencing.
Attorney Paul V. Kelly said in a statement to GBH News that “Jesse and Hugo Moraes look forward to a fair and just resolution of this matter early next year.”
Julie Dahlstrom, director of the Immigrants’ Rights and Human Trafficking Program at Boston University School of Law, told GBH News on Friday that she was disappointed by the outcome of the case. She’s worried that the deal will make it harder for victims in this case to get help, and add to fears in the immigrant community that traffickers will not be punished.
“The alleged conduct really includes telltale signs of trafficking, including individuals being paid $3 per hour, tremendously hard work, threats to throw workers out of the housing that they then provided, or to deport them, which are really red flags in terms of trafficking offenses,'' she said. ”I worry a little bit about the chilling impact it will have on survivors in stepping forward.“
The U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment. The men face up to ten years in prison for each migrant violation. Jesse Moraes also faces up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering charge. Sentencing is scheduled for February.
