Dywidag-Systems International USA Inc. of Bolingbrook, Illinois and its current president, Adam A. Allan, a Canadian citizen, were charged in the conspiracy, which took place from December 1994 until June 1996.

The Department also charged Dywidag-Systems International USA Inc. and John H. Browning, its former President and CEO, with conspiring to rig bids and allocate contracts for the sale of materials and supplies used in the construction of cable-stayed bridges in the United States from June 1996 until September 1997. The charges were filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California.

Post-tensioning is a process of specialty construction designed to add tensile strength to architectural and structural concrete. The process is often used in the construction of highway overpass bridges. Construction of cable-stayed bridges is also a form of specialty construction. The roadway of a cable-stayed bridge is suspended from cables attached to load-bearing towers. Today's cases are the second and third to be filed as a result of an ongoing investigation of the specialty construction industry.

"Road and bridge construction represents a significant part of federal and state budgets," said Joel I. Klein, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department's Antitrust Division. "By dividing market shares, fixing prices, and rigging bids on these projects, the conspirators stole from taxpayers. The Antitrust Division will vigorously prosecute such conduct."

The defendants are charged with violating Section One of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum fine of $10 million for corporations, and a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and a $350,000 fine for individuals.

The maximum fine for both corporations and individuals maybe increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

The ongoing investigation involving the specialty construction industry is being conducted by the Antitrust Division's San Francisco Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General in San Francisco.