Expanded charges in the federal probe of the city's Hired Truck Program accused former city officials Thursday of demanding more than $200,000 in bribes, gifts and political donations to get and stay in the lucrative program.

The indictment charged that Angelo Torres, the former Hired Truck director, and John Boyle, a former influential city employee, extorted payoffs to admit four trucking companies into the program after it had been closed to new entrants.

In all, the two shook down 11 trucking companies that wanted to keep getting millions of dollars in city work through the program, the charges alleged.

At a news conference, Assistant U.S. Atty. Gary Shapiro called the corruption in the Hired Truck Program endemic. He also expressed confidence that the cooperation of more than a dozen trucking-company operators "will substantially enhance and expand this ongoing investigation."

Also indicted Thursday were Jason Martin, a former city engineer, and Martin McDonagh, a trucking-company operator. McDonagh is alleged to have made payoffs to enter Hired Truck at a time the program was officially closed to new companies.

All four of the defendants had been charged previously in criminal complaints, but prosecutors said Thursday's indictment broadened the scope of charges.

"This investigation has dramatically expanded and is moving quickly," Shapiro told reporters. Sixteen defendants, including 10 former city employees, have been charged so far in the probe.

Boyle's lawyer, James Tunick, suggested there was more hyperbole than new evidence behind the indictment.

"This is the second news conference already about this case," Tunick said. "They've already spent more time in news conferences than in court."

For the first time, the indictment links Boyle, nicknamed "Quarters" for his role in the theft of millions of dollars in coins from the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, with Torres, who ran Hired Truck from 2000 to 2003.

Torres was the gatekeeper to the program, deciding which trucking companies made the cut. Despite being a low-level engineer for the city's Department of Transportation, Boyle "exercised considerable influence" over the work handed out to the trucking companies in Hired Truck, Shapiro said.

Tunick flatly denied that Boyle has ever met or talked with Torres.

Among those alleged to have conspired with Torres and Boyle was the late Nick LoCoco, who was charged in the probe in October but died last month in a horse-riding accident.

The indictment charges Torres, 37, of Chicago with 10 counts of bribery, mail fraud, attempted extortion, conspiracy and tax fraud. Boyle, 44, of Chicago was charged with 13 counts of bribery, mail fraud, tax fraud and obstruction of justice.

The obstruction counts alleged that after Boyle became aware of the federal investigation, he directed a trucking-company operator to shred "black books" of notes about construction jobs the operator had worked on for certain supervisors.

According to the charges, the informant performed construction work on the houses of two relatives of LoCoco at Boyle's request.

When Boyle was originally charged last September, he was accused of shaking down only four trucking outfits. But Thursday's indictment accused him of soliciting 14 trucking firms for bribes, campaign contributions for political candidates and gifts totaling more than $238,000.

The indictment alleged that in return the firms received nearly $11.6 million in city business.

One trucking outfit alone paid Boyle $57,000 after he agreed in 2002 to help the firm's owner get Hired Truck work from the city, the charges alleged.

The owner agreed to give Martin half an interest in one truck in return for introducing the owner to Boyle, the charges alleged.

Boyle also instructed McDonagh to make donations to an undisclosed ward organization of $1,000 on Oct. 15, 2003, and another $1,500 on March 15, 2004, according to the indictment.

State campaign records show that the only contribution that McDonagh made on Oct. 15, 2003, was to the Democratic ward political fund controlled by Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th).

Asked if Boyle solicited campaign funds on his behalf, Carothers said Thursday, "I don't know anything about that."

Martin, 32, a former Department of Transportation engineer, was charged with one count of bribery, and McDonagh, 37, of Naperville was charged with one count of lying to the FBI.

Joseph Roddy, Martin's attorney, expects his client to fight the charges.

Attorney Corey Rubenstein, representing McDonagh, said his client is cooperating fully in the investigation. "Mr. McDonagh has not yet entered into a plea agreement, but we anticipate doing so soon," Rubenstein said.

Torres' attorney didn't return calls seeking comment on the indictment.

The indictment seeks forfeiture from Boyle and Torres of at least $200,000, the value of the cash payoffs, campaign contributions and gifts allegedly pocketed, as well as three properties in which Boyle has invested.

The four defendants have previously been released on bond and will be arraigned later on the indictment.