The father-son owners of two Woburn restaurants have pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to smuggle Brazilian citizens into the United States.

Jesse James Moraes, 66, and his son Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 45, own and operate Taste of Brazil – Tudo Na Brasa and The Dog House Bar and Grill. They were indicted on the charges in November 2022 in a case that began a year and a half ago on April 19, 2021; with the indictment of Chelbe Williams Moraes, a federal informant identified as “boss” or “boss.” From a smuggling operation.

While the case against Chelbe Moraes is still pending, Jesse James Moraes and Hugo Giovanni Moraes signed plea agreements on Wednesday, completing it by pleading guilty in federal court in Boston on Thursday.

Federal prosecutors say the operation was a cash cow, with Woburn smugglers charging between $12,000 and $22,000 per illegal immigrant customer. They enabled Brazilian customers to enter the United States through Mexico. Immigrants were instructed to submit fraudulent asylum claims, even pretending they had no family relationships and having fake U.S. connections in the possession of immigration officials, according to federal law enforcement officials.

Prosecutors say if the border crossing is successful, the father-son duo will help their clients find long-term housing and even find them jobs at their restaurant, in exchange for under-the-table cash payments.

“The co-conspirators agreed that some of the immigrants could pay some of their smuggling fees once they reached the United States, by making direct payments, withholding wages, or having them collected by relatives and other associates within and outside the United States,” U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston. According to .

Jesse Moraes also pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy, which prosecutors said involved transferring funds into and out of the United States to promote an immigrant smuggling conspiracy.