Craig Losurdo, 35, of Arlington, Tenn., gave jobs to at least 13 illegal Hispanic employees during eight months on the job at IFCO Systems North America, beginning in October 2004, authorities said.

He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in federal court in Albany and faces up to six months in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

Many of the workers came to the area from other plants operated by IFCO, authorities said.

Some of the ex-manager's other misdeeds included doctoring paperwork to protect workers, providing cash advances and not paying overtime, authorities said.

Losurdo quit his job, in part, over objections to IFCO's illicit business practices, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Sciocchetti.

"He was very remorseful for his conduct and had been cooperative," Sciocchetti said in a phone interview Wednesday.

IFCO first caught the attention of authorities in early 2005 when an observant worker spied colleagues discarding their W-2 forms, prompting a widespread investigation.

Last month, five past and present IFCO managers acknowledged they hired and harbored illegal workers in an attempt to gain an unfair competitive edge. Charges are pending against two other IFCO managers, and the investigation continues.

In simultaneous raids across the country last April, federal agents and local police rounded up more than 1,100 illegal immigrant workers at more than 40 IFCO plants and arrested seven current and former IFCO managers.