All spring, the papers have been filled with stories of bid-rigging and extortion.
They were accused of conspiracy and extortion in rigging bids on $142 million in window contracts awarded by the city Housing Authority from 1978 to last year.
This sort of scheme can be successful in one or two local elections, but it's difficult to keep secret — the city manager and mayor confessed to the election rigging after pleading guilty to bribery and extortion.
Mr. Edwards, 83, went to prison in October 2002 on a 10-year sentence for a bribery and extortion scheme to rig Louisiana's riverboat casino licensing process during his final term in office, which ended in 1996.
He also said that while he supported environmental organisations, the Greenpeace protest at the Prirazlomnaya rig was unacceptable: "It was either an attempt at getting PR, or an attempt at blackmail and extortion, or they were carrying out somebody's order to interfere with our work".
Putin said he supported environmental organisations, but said the Greenpeace protest against the Prirazlomnaya rig was unacceptable: "It was either an attempt at getting PR, or an attempt at blackmail and extortion, or they were carrying out somebody's order to stop our work".
Thefts and extortion are rampant.
Threats, attacks and extortion continue en route.
His fortes were kidnapping and extortion.
Revenue, from kidnapping and extortion, came easy.
