“Slavery ring” in sleepy central California town has torn the lid off a particularly ugly story. A man and wife have been arrested in sleepy Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County on the Central California coast and charged with human trafficking.

The pair is free after posting $75,000 and $50,000 bail bonds respectively for allegedly luring Filipino citizens to work in their four state licensed elder care facilities for little or no money. The pair seizing passports of their victims and threatening them and their relatives back home with harm to keep them in line.

FBI agents executed federal search warrants Tuesday following an investigation that started with a November 2009 tip.

The Morales' are charged with harboring illegal immigrants, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison per person smuggled.

Several charges will likely be added against them — including trafficking with peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude, or forced labor, the FBI said.

According to the state there have been only relatively minor complaints filed and all four homes were in good standing. In a bitter irony they now say they will consider revoking their licenses.

It is unclear how long the scheme has been going on. There will be an April 16 hearing in Federal Court in LA.