Four former St. Louis County deputy sheriffs have been indicted on charges that they took bribes from moving companies in return for favorable treatment in enforcing court-ordered evictions.

The indictments charge the four with taking thousands of dollars from moving companies that help landlords remove tenants who have failed to pay rent or who have damaged property. All four deputies have resigned, prosecutors said.

The indictments, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, accuse the deputies of taking the payments to give one mover’s eviction order priority over another.

"Due to the course of conduct followed by these deputies, a commercial mover which stopped making cash payments risked losing a competitive advantage to other movers who complied with the practice," the indictments say. "The commercial movers made the payments in order to remain competitive and, if possible, gain an edge on the competing businesses."

The deputies charged are Curley Hines, 78, of the 100 block of East Rose Hill in St. Louis; David Rodriguez, 51, of the 7100 block of Sutherland Avenue in St. Louis; Marcus G. Lipe, 64, of Sparrow Court in O’Fallon, Mo.; and Richard Robinson, 60, of Hambletonian Street in Florissant.

Hines is charged with seven felony counts of receiving bribes. Each of the other three defendants is charged with six counts of the same crime. The offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.