BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Two Idaho men are facing federal charges after they allegedly worked together to defraud the U.S. Forest Service for wildland firefighting service contracts.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Idaho, 60-year-old Ike Tomlinson, and 61-year-old Kris Bird, have been indicted on charges of conspiring to rig bids and allocate territories in violation of the Sherman Act, conspiring to commit wire fraud, and committing wire fraud.
A federal grand jury in Boise indicted Tomlinson and Bird last week following a court-authorized wiretap investigation.
Beginning somewhere around February 2014, Tomlinson and Bird allegedly coordinated their bids to "squeeze" competitors. Calls recorded by the FBI and presented to the Grand Jury apparently show Tomlinson and Bird agreeing to rig their bids for fuel truck contracts, allocate territories to each others businesses, and target competitors.
The two men are facing a maximum penalty of 10-years in federal prison for violating the Sherman Act, and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for violating the wire fraud statute. They also face a potential $1 million fine for individuals who violate the Sherman Act.
An indictment is an allegation, both men are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
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