Federal investigators have busted two Ohio companies for a scheme involving illegal immigrants.

Officials said the companies are both temporary personnel agencies: HV Connect, out of Canton, and TN Job Services, which operates out of New Philadelphia in Tuscarawas County.

Investigators said both companies have been helping illegal immigrants sneak into the county and, knowingly and illegally, sending them out on jobs.

Julie Myers, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the operations were "kind of a one-stop shop for illegals looking for work."

Myers said the companies located the illegal immigrants in New York, then transported them to Ohio and found them jobs and places to live.

She said the companies also provided fraudulent drivers licenses and social security cards.

Tuscarawas County has a thriving agricultural industry and a huge demand for temporary workers. Federal officials said the two Ohio companies have been capitalizing on that demand by hiring out hundreds of illegal immigrants and lying about those workers' credentials and legal statuses.

In the wake of a nationwide immigration debate, the federal government is tightening enforcement of its laws regarding illegal workers.

Employers typically face fines for these types of actions, but some of the managers of these two companies may be charged with felonies and may face jail time.

"They shouldn't be saddled with just a small fine. They should suffer for breaking the law," Myers said.

HV Connect in Canton has been caught up in controversy before. The Canton Repository Newspaper reported that the company once employed two men who were eventually put on trial for terrorism charges in Detroit.

Federal investigators said, because of incidents such as this, they are closely monitoring temp agencies.

-Renee Cardelli & Scott MacFarlane, NEWS9