A federal jury in Reno has convicted R.C. Crutcher, a resident of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee, Nevada, on charges of witness tampering. According to evidence presented at trial, Crutcher attempted between March 11 and March 16, 2025, to prevent a victim from testifying at a federal trial by making several phone calls from jail to his mother. During these calls, he asked her to find and convince the victim not to appear in court so that his case would be dismissed.
After a four-day trial, Crutcher was found guilty of one count of tampering with a witness. He is scheduled for sentencing on February 24, 2026, before United States District Judge Anne R. Traum. The conviction carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by the judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada announced the verdict. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case, while Assistant United States Attorneys Penelope Brady and Andrew Keenan prosecuted it.
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