Businessman convicted of harboring illegal aliens working for his company

Man also pleaded guilty to bribing a federal officer

Boston, MA - An Allston businessman, has been convicted in federal court of knowingly harboring illegal aliens who were working in his cleaning business. Jose Neto, 39, of Allston, MA was also an illegal alien from Brazil.

The conviction was jointly announced by United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, Matthew J. Etre, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement Office of Investigations in Boston, and Steven Mocsary, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility for the Eastern Region. The conviction on Wednesday followed a jury trial before U.S. District Senior Judge Morris E. Lasker.

Evidence presented during the three day trial proved that, between 2003 and 2005, the defendant knowingly harbored illegal aliens from Brazil in an apartment he leased in Agawam and in a house he owned in Allston. He also employed some of the individuals he harbored and offered to sell others identification documents.