Boyfriends boss wont pay him

So as of right now my boyfriends boss owes him a little over $3k. He works for cash so he’s not a “legal” employee of the company. It’s also a small company so it’s literally my boyfriend, the boss, and the receptionist. The receptionist is also paid by cash and also complains about him not paying them. They work in construction so he is getting checks of 20k, 50k, etc. business is good and they have lots of work. My boyfriend typically works 10-12 hours 4 days a week. Sometimes 5-6 days a week if they’re slammed. He has been working with him for 9 years now and he has NEVER had a problem with paying him. He asks for his money multiple times every day but because we can’t afford for him to lose his job he doesn’t get angry at him or push it too far. I know his boss very well… I mean we would do dinners all the time and we even spent thanksgiving with him one year. I told him that we have bills to pay and now we are behind on everything because he won’t pay and he basically just shrugged. I got angry because it really showed that he didn’t care at all!!

Btw, yes I work but I don’t make enough to cover ALL the bills. I’ve been doing overtime to try to come close but my boyfriend really is the breadwinner.

I told his boss that if he doesn’t pay him then I’ll have no choice to report him/his business and he started crying!!! I asked him if he was in debt or if the business was failing and he looked at me with a disgusted face and said of course not! So he’s financially doing well, yet he won’t pay his employee.

So I thought if it’s not a financial problem then maybe there’s some sort of tension between him and my boyfriend but when I saw him last he gave my boyfriend a brand new bike because he’s been talking about how his is just old and peeling. My boyfriend was obviously very upset… so was I. So he could afford to buy a bike but not pay him??

Idk what to do. I don’t want to ruin his relationship with the boss and make him lose his job but at the same time.. like just pay him??!! I feel like I have no choice but to report his business but once I do that then there’s no turning back.

The receptionist who has the same problem actually called my boyfriend today to say that he paid her(again we are both very close with her too so it’s not weird) and she was asking if he got paid too. When he said no she got really upset and just kept saying I’m sorry.

Any tips?? Do I report him?? Do I try talking to him again??