Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Monopolize, Rig Bids and Allocate Territories for Wildfire Services

Summary:

Ike Tomlinson, a former executive, and his co-conspirator Kris Bird have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to monopolize the market for fuel truck services provided to the US Forest Service's wildfire fighting efforts. They coordinated their bids to exclude competing vendors and maintain high prices, in violation of the Sherman Act. The plea agreement involves wiretap evidence and alleges that they conspired from at least 2015 to 2023 to rig prices, overcharge the Forest Service, and submit false certifications. The case is being prosecuted by the Antitrust Division's San Francisco Office, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho, and the FBI.