Ponemah man indicted on involuntary manslaughter charge
B. Todd Jones, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, announced Monday, March 29, that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 61-year-old man from Ponemah.
Bruce Wilson Dow Sr. was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter. The indictment was filed in U.S. District Court March 18. It charges Dow with killing a Red Lake man on Oct. 10, while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Dow made his initial appearance in federal court Monday.
According to the indictment, the victim was a passenger in Dow's vehicle when it rolled over, causing the victim to be ejected. The victim later died at the hospital.
If convicted of the charge filed against him, Dow faces a potential maximum penalty of eight years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.
The federal government has primary law enforcement jurisdiction over the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Thus, this case was investigated by the F.B.I. and the Red Lake Tribal Police, with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika R. Mozangue.
An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant s presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.
-- Molly Miron
