St. Michael Man Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter

FARGO—U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on October 22, 2012, Douglas Allen Baker, of St. Michael, North Dakota, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. Baker, 24, pleaded guilty on July 24, 2012 to the charge.

On September 8, 2011, Baker was driving his vehicle traveling east on BIA Road #6, an asphalt two-lane road in rural St. Michael, North Dakota. Upon exiting a curve and while driving at an excessive rate of speed, Baker drove completely in the west-bound lane and collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle, causing the death of Dana Grow, the driver of that vehicle. Grow, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, was on his way to work at 7:22 a.m. when the crash occurred. It was determined later by law enforcement that Baker’s blood alcohol concentration was .210 after drinking all night and into the morning. The incident happened on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation.

Judge Erickson sentenced Baker to three years’ imprisonment with credit for 12 months served in Tribal custody. Baker’s sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. Baker was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $15,714.08 to Debbie Grow for her husband’s funeral expenses. Additionally, Baker was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,132.86 to Blue Cross Blue Shield for medical expenses and $1,621.00 to Geico Direct for the loss of Grow’s vehicle. Baker was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Fort Totten Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Janice M. Morley prosecuted the case.