Ponemah Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter

A 62-year-old man from Ponemah, Minnesota, which is on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, pleaded guilty earlier today to causing the death of a Red Lake man last fall while driving under the influence of alcohol. Appearing in Duluth before United States District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis, Bruce Wilson Dow, Sr., pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter. Dow was indicted on March 18, 2010.

In his plea agreement, Dow admitted that on October 10, 2009, he killed the man without malice. 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.

For his crime, Dow faces a potential maximum penalty of eight years in prison. Judge Davis will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.

This case is the result of an investigation 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.