Jury Convicts Owyhee Man Of Witness Tampering

RENO – A federal jury yesterday convicted a resident of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee, Nevada, of witness tampering.

As proven at trial, from March 11, 2025, to March 16, 2025, R.C. Crutcher made attempts to persuade a victim from testifying at a federal trial. Crutcher made multiple phone calls from jail to his mother, asking his mother to locate and persuade a victim not to show up for trial so his case would be dismissed.

Following a four-day trial, Crutcher was found guilty of one count of tampering with a witness.

Crutcher is scheduled for sentencing on February 24, 2026, before United States District Judge Anne R. Traum. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Penelope Brady and Andrew Keenan are prosecuting the case.

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