Reynaldo Garza, a 53-year-old resident of Othello, Washington, was sentenced on March 17 in Spokane to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $21,080 in restitution after being convicted of odometer tampering. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca L. Pennell also imposed a one-year supervised release following incarceration and barred Garza from selling vehicles during that period.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about odometer fraud affecting used car buyers. Prosecutors said Garza purchased high-mileage vehicles at low prices, then replaced their odometers with ones showing significantly fewer miles before reselling them under false pretenses. Some cars were sold with mileage misrepresented by up to 100,000 miles less than their actual usage.
A federal jury convicted Garza on five felony counts of odometer tampering last October after an investigation led by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office revealed he had altered the mileage readings on at least 21 vehicles. An expert testified that more than two million total miles were removed through these rollbacks.
Judge Pennell noted during sentencing that Garza’s actions were not isolated incidents but part of a pattern spanning years and targeting his own community. The judge also remarked that the financial losses reported did not fully account for the hardship suffered by victims who continue to drive these tampered vehicles because they cannot afford replacements.
“Mr. Garza is not the first nor the last person commit odometer fraud in the Eastern District of Washington. Our office takes these crimes seriously and will investigate and prosecute all instances of odometer tampering. Mr. Garza’s sentence reflects the harm he imposed on our community. This sentence should serve as a message that odometer tampering is a significant and serious offense that will not be tolerated in our community,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano.
NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said: “Odometer fraud is a serious and costly crime. It’s also dangerous. These purchasers were defrauded into believing that the vehicles were more than 100,000 miles newer than in reality—taking on additional risks from safety-critical components affecting steering and braking… NHTSA will continue to protect Americans from these deceptive and dangerous practices.”
The case was investigated by both federal transportation officials and local law enforcement, with prosecution handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy J. Kelley and Jacob E. Brooks.
