The woman held the migrant's 33, forcing them to work with the children
In Illinois, a woman was arrested who held an immigrant's 33 in her home, forcing them to work and pay her hundreds of dollars for rent, childcare and transportation. In addition, she inspired them that they owed her thousands of dollars for helping them into the United States.
Фото: Depositphotos
FBI investigators raided the home of 49-year-old Concepcion Malinek from Cicero, Illinois. There they found 19 adults and 14 children. They are all citizens of Guatemala.
According to court documents, Malinek threatened migrants with “migration consequences” if they told someone else about what was going on inside the house.
On Thursday, 28 March, the judge ordered Malinek to remain in custody without bail until trial. She is currently held at the Kendall County Public Security Center in Yorkville, Illinois.
Malinek has U.S. and Guatemalan citizenship, Justice Department spokesman Joseph Fitzpatrick said. She faces a maximum of 40 years in prison - 20 for each charge.
Photo: Kendal County Sherif
Lawyer Malinek did not respond to numerous requests for CNN comments.
The man said that he had to live in the basement
In the criminal lawsuit in detail about several victims.
The FBI launched an investigation after it received information from an anonymous source that he had to live in a basement, while the owner of the house forced her to work. She "constantly watches these people," the lawsuit says.
According to the criminal lawsuit, one migrant, whose name was Victim D, told federal investigators that he initially met Malinek when he was working on the construction site of her hotel in Guatemala.
When he and his 15-year-old daughter crossed the border with Texas, he indicated her data and address in migration documents where he planned to stay before gaining legal status in the country. But Malinek immediately billed them for $ 18 000 for using her name and address in immigration documents and for taking her home from the border.
She then sent victim D to a recruitment agency. There he was found work in an unknown company, where several other migrants who lived with him in the house worked.
The victim told investigators that he earned about $ 1956 per month, but had to give 974 dollars as payment for debt, transportation to work and back, and the phone she gave him.
He was forced to live in the basement, but his daughter lived on the first floor of the house. In the basement no one was allowed to leave without Malinek’s permission.
The daughter, who was forced to work on forged documents, claiming that she was over twenty, was allowed to go down to the basement to visit her father, but only for short periods of time.
The documents also state that Malinek repeatedly threatened migrants, that “if they tell someone about what is happening in the house, they are deported back to Guatemala, and the children will remain in the United States” along with her.
“I have money,” the woman said
Another Guatemalan immigrant, Victim B, said that he and his wife had to live in the basement of their house with their 10 year old daughter and 12 year old son.
Victim B revealed that Malinek initially requested $ 7 000 to transport him and one of the children to the States. They later agreed to transport his wife and second child in exchange for $ 30 000, the lawsuit says.
Victim S told the investigators that the defendant sometimes insulted them and told them: "The immigration service knows how many people live in this house, and you guys are poor, and I have money."
Victim S said Malinek also placed “rules” on the door from the basement to the upper floor, which said that the basement needed to be cleaned every day before they went to work, otherwise they would pay a fine.
Law enforcement authorities during the search found this list of rules. They also found an account book in which the amounts are detailed: how much the defendant took from the migrants and how much they owed.
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