The former owner of a fuel truck supply company has been sentenced to 12 months in prison and fined $20,000 for his role in bid rigging and conspiracy to monopolize. The sentencing took place in Boise, Idaho, following Ike Tomlinson's guilty plea in May 2024. Tomlinson was involved in a scheme with Kris Bird, another fuel truck company owner, to manipulate bids for contracts aiding the U.S. Forest Service's wildfire efforts.
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division stated that the sentence highlights that bid rigging affecting federal agencies will not be tolerated. She emphasized that such conspiracies undermine taxpayer-funded services essential for protecting public safety during wildfires.
FBI Assistant Director Jose A. Perez remarked on the significance of holding accountable those who disrupt fair competition, noting that antitrust violations harm consumers and erode trust in the economy.
Jason Suffredini from the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General stressed the importance of competition for fair federal contracting and reiterated their commitment to pursuing procurement fraud.
Court documents revealed that Tomlinson and his co-conspirators coordinated bids to inflate prices and determine priority business allocations from federal agencies during wildfires. This gave an illusion of competition while excluding potential competitors between 2015 and 2023.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and GSA OIG. The prosecution team included members from these offices as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Idaho along with other entities handled related civil investigations with Robert B. Firpo and James Schaefer leading this effort.
In November 2019, the Justice Department established the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) to address antitrust crimes impacting government procurement at various levels. Information on reporting similar conduct can be found at www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
