ATLANTA -- A federal grand jury has charged eight illegal immigrants with scheming to make and sell phony IDs, including Social Security cards and drivers licenses from multiple states, officials said Tuesday.

Five also were charged with aggravated identity theft.

The defendants allegedly used computers, laminating equipment and other supplies at several apartments in the Atlanta area to create the fraudulent documents, some of which were sold to confidential informants and an undercover federal agent, U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said.

Such identification is used by immigrants to remain in the U.S. illegally.

More than 70 documents contained Social Security numbers and alien registration numbers issued to other individuals, Nahmias said.

Charged with conspiracy were Francisco Santillan Arellano, 36, Gabriel Garcia Sanchez, 24, Luis Aguilar Romero, 29, Jose Luis Plata Silva, 52, Jose Rodriguez Rodriguez, 43, Francisco Hernandez Lopez, 24, Giobanny Trejo Gomez, 22, and Cesar Vazquez-Ventura, 38, all of metro Atlanta.

Santillan Arellano, Garcia Sanchez, Aguilar Romero, Trejo Gomez, and Vazquez Ventura are also charged with aggravated identity theft, and Santillan Arellano was charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm.