NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Several former employees of insurance brokerage Marsh Inc. have been told by New York state authorities they'll be indicted on criminal charges, perhaps as soon as this coming week, unless they plead guilty to lesser charges soon, according to an online report Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal Online, citing two people close to the situation, says more than a half-dozen ex-Marsh employees could face fraud charges from a grand jury impaneled by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

The report says one of the employees, ex-broker William Gilman, is accused of rigging bids for big corporate insurance contracts to steer business to insurers that paid Marsh big commissions; Gilman's attorney declined comment to WSJ Online.

The sources quoted in the report say authorities hope to complete last-minute negotiations soon, with the indictments unsealed as soon as Thursday.

Spitzer declined comment to the Journal.

Marsh Inc. is a unit of Marsh & McLennan Cos. (Research), which earlier this year signed an $850 million settlement with Spitzer, without admitting or denying wrongdoing, as part of his ongoing probe of bid-rigging in the insurance industry.