Ponemah Man Indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota
March 29, 2010

MINNEAPOLIS—B. Todd Jones, United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 61-year-old man from Ponemah, Minnesota, charging him with one count of involuntary manslaughter. The indictment, filed in U.S. District Court on March 18, 2010, alleges Bruce Wilson Dow, Sr., killed a Red Lake, Minnesota, man on October 10, 2009, while driving under the influence of alcohol. Dow made his initial appearance in federal court earlier today.

According to the indictment, the victim was a passenger in Dow’s vehicle when it rolled over, causing the victim to be ejected. He 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, 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, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.