Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against five construction companies, claiming they used a widespread misclassification scheme to deny hundreds of workers their wages and benefits.

The Office of the Attorney General’s investigation found that the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Welch Mechanical Contractors, and three labor brokers, Mechanical Plumbing Crew, Ramirez Plumbing, and GINCO HVAC, violated Washington’s wage and hour laws.