Boston Taste of Brazil Tudo Na Brasa and The Dog House Bar and Grill, two eateries in Woburn, Massachusetts, are owned by a father and son who have entered a guilty plea to smuggling migrants from Brazil into the United States. Additionally, one defendant entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to launder money.
Jesse James Moraes, 66, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 45, both of Woburn, entered guilty pleas to conspiring to encourage and induce an alien to enter, enter, and reside in the United States knowing or willfully ignoring that such entry, residence, or coming to is or will be illegal for commercial advantage or personal financial gain, according to the Massachusetts Department of Justice. Additionally, Jesse Moraes entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to launder the funds of the conspiracy to smuggle migrants. Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the U.S. District Court set the sentence date on February 11, 2025.
In exchange for sums ranging from $12,000 to $22,000 per individual, the scheme entailed enlisting undocumented migrants in Brazil to enter the United States illegally through Mexico. The migrants were given false information regarding U.S. points of contact to provide to immigration authorities upon their capture in the country, and they were encouraged to make false claims of asylum and familial relationships (such as parent and minor child) once in the country. Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes assisted migrants in finding permanent accommodation once they arrived in the United States, including flats owned by Hugo Moraes’ family. Some of the migrants were hired by the defendants to work at Tudo Na Brasa/Taste of Brazil and The Dog House Bar and Grill. The migrants were paid in cash, either in full or in part, until they were able to produce identification documents, at which point they would receive at least a portion of their pay by check. In order to get fraudulent identification documents, the defendants urged the migrants who worked for them to do so and directed them to Marcos Chacon Gil, also known as Marquito, a co-defendant. When the migrants arrived in the United States, the co-conspirators decided that some of them could pay off the smuggling charge by direct payment, having their earnings withheld, or by being collected by family members and other associates both inside and outside the country.
Transferring money into and out of the United States with the intention of advancing the migrant smuggling conspiracy and carrying out financial transactions using the proceeds of the smuggling conspiracy that were intended to hide the ownership and control of the proceeds were both part of the money laundering conspiracy to which Jesse Moraes entered a guilty plea.
The public is urged to contact [email protected] by phone at 888-221-6023, Option 5, or by email with contact details if they think they may have been victims of the alleged offenses or if they have information or inquiries regarding this matter.
A sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 are imposed for the conspiracy charge of encouraging and inducing an alien to enter, enter, and reside in the United States for commercial or private financial gain, knowing or willfully ignoring the fact that such entry, residence, or coming to the United States is or will be illegal. In addition to a punishment of $500,000 or double the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is higher, the charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Judges in federal district courts issue sentences in accordance with the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and laws that control the imposition of sentences in criminal cases.
The announcement was made by Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr.; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Joshua S. Levy, Acting United States Attorney. The Norwood Police Department was a great help in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence, and Samuel R. Feldman.
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