Crime & Safety
Cicero Woman Accused Of Enslaving Undocumented Immigrants Sentenced
She forced the undocumented immigrants to work in a factory, and then collected most of their paychecks, prosecutors said.
CICERO, IL — Prosecutors said Concepcion Malinek, 50, assisted at least 10 undocumented immigrants with illegally coming into the U.S. and then forced them to work to pay off their debt to her. She forced the undocumented immigrants to work in a factory, collected most of their paychecks and threatened to have them deported and separated from their children if they didn’t comply, prosecutors said.
“Malinek controlled her victims’ every move, knowing their whereabouts at all times, the exact amount of each paycheck she stole from them, and what levers to push and pull to keep them all in line,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher V. Parente was quoted from the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Malinek knew her victims were scared of deportation and separation from their loved ones far more than they dreaded the abuse and exploitive actions she imposed on them.”
