CEO of mine where 29 workers died indicted four years later -- damning documents released

Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday, more than four years after an explosion at his company's Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 coal miners. The four-count indictment alleges that Blankenship "conspired to commit and cause routine violations of mandatory federal mine safety standards" in order to "produce more coal, avoid the costs of following safety laws, and make more money." (Blankenship was also indicted for allegedly making false statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission.)

Blankenship, characteristically, is not backing down. In a statement, his attorney, William Taylor, said that "Mr. Blankenship is entirely innocent of these charges. He will fight them and he will be acquitted." Taylor called Blankenship "a tireless advocate for mine safety" and argued the prosecution had been triggered by Blankenship's "outspoken criticism of powerful bureaucrats."

But the 43-page indictment tells a different story—in which Massey employees devised secret codes to thwart safety inspectors, and workers risked drowning while laboring in flooded mines that lacked even the minimum safety precautions.

Here are some allegations from the indictment: