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Suburban Chicago Woman Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Labor Trafficking
A suburban Chicago woman who trafficked numerous undocumented immigrants from Guatemala was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison.
Concepcion Malinek, 50, of Cicero, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of labor trafficking. From 2009 to 2019, Malinek assisted at least ten undocumented Guatemalan immigrants with illegally entering the U.S. and forced them to work to pay off their debt to her.
Malinek threatened the victims with deportation and separation from their children to force the victims to continue to work and pay Malinek the debt she demanded from them.
U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang ordered Malinek to pay $112,545 in restitution to the victims. The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
“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 argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
If you believe you are a victim of labor trafficking, you are encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 1-888-373-7888, or logging on to https://humantraffickinghotline.org/.
Malinek, 50, of Cicero, Ill., was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for labor trafficking.
The crime occurred from 2009 to 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
Malinek was ordered to pay $112,545 in restitution to the victims.
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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