Feds find 19 adults, 14 children held in Cicero home; woman faces labor charges

Federal authorities say they found 19 adults and 14 children in a Cicero home during an early morning raid Tuesday, following allegations that Guatemalan citizens were being held in the basement there and forced to work.

Now the woman who authorities say kept them there, Concepcion Malinek, faces forced labor charges outlined in a 12-page criminal complaint. The feds spoke to four of the alleged captives in recent days, according to the document.

It says Malinek, 49, of the 3100 block of South 53rd Court in Cicero, helped the immigrants cross into the United States in 2018 and 2019, either through the use of her name and address or by paying airfare. Then, she told them they owed her thousands of dollars for her assistance and helped them find employment in a Romeoville factory, delivering them to work in a white passenger van.

The feds say the immigrants handed over large portions of their paychecks to Malinek, who purportedly used the money to pay various expenses. For example, one alleged victim said he made $1,956 a month at the factory and gave Malinek $974 per month. She put $200 toward his debt, $424 toward "bills," $200 toward the cost of transporting the workers to their jobs and $35 toward a phone.

The allegations all came to light after a co-worker of one of the victims reached out to the FBI, according to the complaint. Malinek is being held at the Kendall County jail and is expected in court Thursday, records show.

Law enforcement officials were still working Tuesday to verify the immigration status of the victims, according to the complaint.

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