Two Idaho businessmen charged with federal crimes of bid rigging and fraud

BOISE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Two Idaho business owners have been charged with Bid Rigging, Territorial Allocation and Defrauding the U.S. Forest Service After a Wiretap Investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho on Monday, Ike Tomlinson, 60, of Terreton and Kris Bird, 61, of Salmon are being charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bid rigging.

According to court documents, the charges arise from years of phone calls and other communications between the two men to submit firefighting equipment bids to the Forest Service to undercut competitors and maximize their own profits.

Documents state that Tomlinson and Bird, through their unnamed business and with unnamed co-conspirators, have worked together since 2014 to defraud the federal government on contracts for fuel trucks, water trucks and communication trailers — equipment the Forest Service rents from local vendors to fight wildfires in various districts.

If found guilty, they could face up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud-related charge and up to 10 years for bid rigging.

Copyright 2023 KMVT. All rights reserved.