Falsifying broker application nets prison sentence

   An Iowa man has been sentenced to two years in prison for providing false information when he applied for motor carrier and broker authority.
   Bret J. Tratchel also was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $35,801 in restitution to Quaker Transportation Inc., a victim of his scheme, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG). 
   Tratchel, who was sentenced July 10 in U.S. District Court in Davenport, had pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making false statements or representations to the United States in October.
   DOT-OIG launched an investigation based on allegations that Tratchel provided false information to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration when he applied for motor carrier and broker authority. FMCSA requires motor carriers to disclose prior company affiliations. DOT-OIG said Tratchel operated CK Logistics and did not disclose to FMCSA that he also had business interests in BT Ent LLC Inc. and JBT Logistics Inc.
   “This scheme allowed Tratchel to confuse his customers, circumvent legitimate registration requirements and operate without proper FMCSA authority. He also submitted false invoices, bills of lading and similar documents to his customers to cause them to pay him fraudulently,” DOT-OIG said.