A federal grand jury in Denver on Tuesday indicted Eunice, N.M.-based B&H Maintenance & Construction Inc. and two of its executives, Jon Paul Smith and Landon Martin, on charges of a bid-rigging conspiracy involving natural gas pipeline construction projects in Colorado.

The indictment charges that B&H, Smith, who is vice president and regional manager, and Martin, manager of marketing and business development, conspired with each other and another corporation and individual to submit noncompetitive and rigged bids to BP America Production Co.

Between June and December 2005, the defendants rigged bids for the construction of pipelines to transport natural gas from wells in the Upper San Juan Basin in Colorado, the indictment stated. Smith also has been charged with witness tampering for allegedly trying to persuade another person involved in the scheme to lie to federal investigators and to the grand jury.

"Those who make deliberate attempts to hide the truth from federal investigators will also be aggressively pursued," said Thomas Barnett, assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.

The Antitrust Division is committed to prosecuting bid-rigging schemes that defraud consumers and rob them of the benefits of competition, including in industries crucial to the daily life of Americans, such as the energy sector, Barnett added.

Jana Martin, a B&H representative, said a thorough internal investigation of the matter with an outside counsel did not find any evidence of illegal conduct by B&H or its employees.

"We intend to vigorously defend the case in trial," Martin said. "We believe these allegations are without merit."