Othello man convicted of odometer tampering
On Monday, it was announced that Othello resident Reynaldo Garza was convicted of five felony counts of odometer tampering. His sentencing is scheduled for January. He faces a statutory maximum of three years imprisonment for each count.
NANCE BESTON/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
OTHELLO — U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano announced Monday, that Reynaldo Garza, a 53-year-old resident of Othello, was convicted Oct. 1 by a federal jury in Spokane on five felony counts of odometer tampering.
The conviction culminated from an investigation led by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, which revealed Garza's scheme to deceive unsuspecting buyers by altering the odometers of high mileage used cars.
ACSO was contacted for comment but did not answer prior to press time.
Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Garza purchased vehicles with high mileage for low prices. He then replaced the original odometers with ones procured from wrecking yards or used auto parts suppliers, resulting in an inaccurate and significantly lower mileage reading.
This deceit allowed him to sell the vehicles at inflated prices, profiting thousands of dollars per sale. In several instances, Garza misrepresented the mileage by as much as 100,000 miles.
U.S. Attorney Serrano emphasized the seriousness of the crime. “Unlike in the movies where driving a car backwards may change the odometer, cars these days have digital odometers that are harder to tamper with. This sophistication allowed Mr. Garza to defraud and cheat the public,” Serrano said in a statement.
He added that Garza’s actions violated several statutes intended to protect consumers and that his office would continue prosecuting such cases.
Odometer fraud poses a significant financial burden on American consumers, costing billions of dollars each year, as noted by Jonathan Morrison, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Odometer fraud makes our roads less safe for everyone by leading purchasers to believe their brake pads and other components are newer than they are,” Morrison said in a statement. “Buyers of these tampered vehicles were deprived of their vehicles’ full-service history and overpaid for vehicles nearing the end of their lifespans.”
The indictment alleges that Garza’s fraudulent activities began in May 2023 and included manipulating Bill of Sale paperwork to misrepresent the vehicle’s mileage and the seller’s information after buyers had signed.
Garza’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026.
He faces a statutory maximum of three years imprisonment for each count. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob E. Brooks and Jeremy J. Kelley, with ongoing investigations conducted by the NHTSA and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
Individuals with information regarding odometer tampering are encouraged to contact NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. Further information about odometer fraud prevention is available on the NHTSA website.