Associated Press - June 9, 2009 5:14 AM ET

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - The personnel director accused of knowingly hiring dozens of illegal immigrants who were rounded up last year in the nation's largest workplace raid now wants his trial delayed.

The trial is scheduled for Aug. 17, but attorneys for Jose Humberto Gonzalez say they need more time to prepare.

They filed a motion last week asking for the trial to be pushed back to the end of the year.

Gonzalez was indicted May 6 on 25 counts of conspiracy and employee fraud related to the raid on Howard Industries in Laurel.

Nearly 600 workers at Howard Industries' transformer plant were detained Aug. 25 when dozens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided the facility.

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