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Nine years for smuggling people from Mexico to Highland Park, turning them into 'indentured servants'

First publishedJul 21, 23:52 UTC

Last updatedJul 22, 01:55 UTC · 2m ago

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Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓

A federal judge on Tuesday gave a nine-year prison sentence to a woman who admitted she helped illegally smuggle people into the United States from Mexico, harbored them in her Highland Park home, and forced them to work and turn over their salaries to her.U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman handed the sentence to Gladys Ibanez-Olea, who told him she’d “forever be asking for forgiveness.” However, she also seemed to deny some of the allegations she’d admitted to when she pleaded guilty earlier this year.Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner said Ibanez-Olea used her role as a cartel recruiter “to create a cadre of indentured servants.” She “controlled every aspect of their lives,” restricted access to food and medical care, and made “horrifying threats” to keep them in line, he said.Defense attorney Jed Stone argued that Ibanez-Olea was also a victim — sexually assaulted and taken advantage of by cartel associates who helped her enter the United States as she sought medical care for her children.But Gettleman told her, “you must have known what you were putting these people through.”“These are terrible stories,” he said.Ibanez-Olea pleaded guilty in February to human smuggling and forced labor, admitting to a scheme involving eight victims that lasted for nearly a year and a half.It began in September 2022 when Ibanez-Olea smuggled a 12-year-old child from Mexico up to Highland Park, Zenner wrote in a court filing. When the girl’s mother tried to get her back, Ibanez-Olea told the mother that she “owned” the girl, according to Zenner.When the mother agreed to be smuggled into the United States to reunite with her daughter, Ibanez-Olea told her she owed $15,000 for the crossing, the prosecutor said.

Read the full report at Chicago Sun-Times ↗

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In brief

What's the story?: A federal judge on Tuesday gave a nine-year prison sentence to a woman who admitted she helped illegally smuggle people into the United States from Mexico, harbored them in her Highland Park home, and forced them to work and turn over their salaries to her.U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman handed the sentence to Gladys Ibanez-Olea, who told him she’d “forever be asking for forgiveness.” However, she also seemed to deny some of the allegations she’d admitted to when she pleaded guilty earlier this year.Assistant U.S.
How widely is it covered?: 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
When was it last updated?: 2m ago.

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Nine years for smuggling people from Mexico to Highland Park, turning them into 'indentured servants'
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Chicago Sun-TimesJul 21, 23:52

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organizationGettleman organizationGladys organizationHighland Park organizationIbanez-Olea organizationMexico organizationNine organizationStates organizationUnited

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Chicago Sun-Times6

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