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Jesse Moraes, 64, and Hugo Moraes, 42, who ran the Dog House Bar and Grill and Tudo Na Brazil on Main Street, are accused of bringing people into the country and forcing them to work at their restaurants, the US Attorney General for Massachusetts said. They face several immigration violations.
Investigators said Chelbe Moraes, who lives in Brazil, would smuggle people to the United States for a fee of $18,000 to $22,000 a person. They were sent to Woburn and put to work at the restaurants to pay off that debt, authorities said. Reports claim that some were paid less than minimum wage.
The Moraeses gave the migrants fake documents to work in the country and seek asylum here, investigators said. Marcos Chacon, 29, of Woburn is accused of providing the fake paperwork.
Agents raided the restaurants that are about a block apart on Tuesday morning, Oct. 4. Video from outside shows Homeland Security investigators and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents taking computers and boxes of files out of the Dog House.
Investigators didn't say how long the men have run this scheme or how many people they've smuggled into the United States. If convicted, they all faces several years in prison, the US Attorney's Office said.
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