Illegal Polish nationals connected to theft ring arrested in Paducah

A pair of illegal Polish nationals linked to a multi-state theft ring have been arrested in Paducah.

McCracken County Sheriff’s deputies, working with Homeland Security Investigations, arrested the pair after they stole items from a home improvement store in Mayfield. Detectives and deputies caught up with 37-year-old Majkel Malinowski and 36-year-old Margarita Kaminska along I-24 just before they got to the Ohio River. During a search of the vehicle, they found tape and other packing materials that pointed to a specific shipping company.

Detectives obtained a warrant for that shipping company and located a package shipped by Malinowski and Kaminska just before they were apprehended. Inside, they found the items that had been taken from the store, which were valued at over $3000. The package was bound for an address in Chicago that had reportedly received items from all over the country during 2026, all of it believed to be stolen.  

The Homeland Security investigation, in conjunction with the home improvement store, linked the illegals to stores not only in Kentucky, but also in Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Investigators believe the two were stealing items, then shipping them to the Chicago address.

Malinowski and Kaminska have been charged with receiving stolen property over $1,000, possession of burglary tools, and engaging in organized crime. They will face additional charges in Graves County connected to the theft. They were taken to the McCracken County Regional Jail.