1.   And the middlemen were charged with fifth-degree conspiracy and various degrees of commercial bribery and commerical bribe-receiving.

2.   Seventeen lawyers were also charged with commercial bribery in the first degree.

3.   The biggest surprise in the results was how badly the United States fared, despite its long history of inveighing against international commercial bribery.

4.   The charges include conspiracy, commercial bribery, money laundering, and fraud.

5.   The former executive, Michael Pope, was charged with grand larceny and commercial bribery for allegedly stealing from the Richard Allen Center on Life foster care agency.

6.   All nine defendants were charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud and commercial bribery, and two counts each of securities fraud.

7.   Normally, the Justice Department lets private parties resolve commercial bribery cases through civil lawsuits rather than bringing federal criminal charges.

8.   Prosecutors say they know of no larger commercial bribery case ever in terms of money changing hands.

9.   Prosecutors said it was the largest commercial bribery case ever.

10.   The U.S. Justice Department normally lets private parties resolve commercial bribery cases through civil lawsuits rather than bringing a federal criminal charge.