Woman, 2 Daughters Forced West African Children To Work At Salon: Jury

CHICAGO — A Hazel Crest woman and her two daughters were convicted Tuesday on child labor trafficking charges, after forcing two undocumented West African children to work at a salon in the south suburbs, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a release.

A federal jury convicted Nawomi Awoga, 75, of Hazel Crest, and her daughters Marina Oke (also known as Marina Fandohan), 38, of Country Club Hills, and Assiba Lea Fandohan of Hazel Crest Tuesday in the child labor scheme. Each was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to conceal, harbor, and shield from detection two children from the West African country of Benin, one count of concealment of an undocumented immigrant, and one count of forcing labor through threats of serious harm to a victim or another person.

The jury returned its verdicts after a two-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

According to evidence presented at trial, Awoga coached the victims, then ages 14 and 12, in Benin to lie to U.S. immigration authorities about their family relationships in order to obtain tourist visas, and then accompanied them into the United States, according to the release.

Once in the U.S., the defendants harbored the victims in residences in Country Club Hills and Hazel Crest, while the victims were forced to provide labor and services for the defendants’ financial gain. The defendants used violence against the victims to force them to work both inside the residences and at a hair salon.

Sentencing dates have not yet been set.