Spokane, Washington - A Federal Grand Jury has returned an indictment charging Darren Bowannie, age 34, with Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. Bowannie made his first appearance in Federal Court on Monday, September 9, 2024. 

Bowannie was employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a lead correctional officer. According to the indictment, Bowannie transported individuals who were in the custody of the Spokane Tribe of Indians and Bureau of Indian Affairs to and from the Colville Tribal Correctional Facility in Nespelem, Washington. 

The indictment alleges that on February 9, 2024, Bowannie, who was working as a correctional officer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) at the time, was transporting an individual from Wellpinit, Washington to Nespelem, Washington. In his role as a correctional officer, Bowannie’s duties included prisoner transport to and from the BIA’s jail in Wellpinit. During the transport, Bowannie allegedly threatened and sexually assaulted the individual he was transporting. If convicted, Bowannie faces a sentence of up to life in prison and up to 5 years of supervised release.

“Our society places significant trust in law enforcement. Every day we rely on law enforcement officers who put themselves at risk to keep our communities safe and uphold their oath to protect and serve. When law enforcement fails to uphold this trust, my office will carefully investigate allegations of wrongdoing and seek justice to reestablish trust, protect victims, and to keep our communities safe and strong.”

The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis and Tim M. Durkin are prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Spokane, Washington – On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an indictment charging Reynaldo Valdez Garza Jr., of Othello, Washington, with five counts of Odometer Tampering. Garza made his first appearance in Federal Court on September 9, 2024. 

The indictment alleges that beginning in May of 2023, Garza carried out a scheme to acquire used cars with high mileage, tamper with or replace the odometers in the vehicles to make the cars mileage appear much lower, then advertise and sell the vehicles to unsuspecting buyers for an inflated price. According to the indictment, in some cases, Garza caused odometers to be rolled back more than 100,000 miles. 

The indictment further alleges that in some instances Gaza would wait for the buyer to sign their section of the Bill of Sale paperwork, then fill in the “seller” section with different information than what was represented to the buyer regarding the identity of the seller and mileage. 

“The purchase of a vehicle is often one of the largest financial commitments people make. It is important that buyers have confidence in the information they receive when deciding which vehicle to purchase,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “My office is committed to protecting consumers from fraudsters who seek to cheat the system for their own gain.” 

This case was investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devin Curda. 

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.