Brazilian Woman and Man Charged With Running Prostitution Ring Involving Illegal Aliens

Boston, MA. A Miami, Florida woman and man, both Brazilian nationals, were charged his week in federal court with running a prostitution ring, based in Burlington, Massachusetts, which employed illegal aliens.

The indictment alleges that from July 2004 through February 2006, LOPES and MELLO conspired together to profit from a prostitution business which took advantage of the vulnerabilities of Brazilian women who were in the U.S. illegally. According to the indictment, LOPES and MELLO recruited women for the business, advertised them through the Internet and then directed the women to various locations throughout Massachusetts and neighboring states for prostitution. The indictment also stated that, in order to keep the women from quitting, LOPES and MELLO used various threats against them, including the threat of deportation.