Othello Man Convicted by Federal Jury of Odometer Tampering

Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on October 1, 2025, a federal jury in Spokane, Washington, convicted Reynaldo Garza, age 53, of Othello, Washington, of five felony counts of Odometer Tampering.

As evidence presented at the trial established, a thorough investigation initiated by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office determined that Garza would purchase high-mileage used cars for cheap. Garza would replace the odometers in the vehicles with an odometer purchased from wrecking yards or used auto parts sellers. The new odometer would display many fewer miles than the original. Garza then sold the vehicles under the false and fraudulent representation that they had fewer miles than was true. In some cases, Garza sold cars by misrepresenting the mileage by up to 100,000 miles less than it the actual mileage. In other cases, the difference was tens of thousands of miles. In doing so, Garza made thousands of dollars in profits for each fraudulent sale.

U.S. Attorney Serrano said, “Unlike in the movies where driving a car backwards may change the odometer, cars these days have digital odometers that are harder are tamper with, making customers unsuspecting of any inaccuracies. This sophistication allowed Mr. Garza to defraud and cheat the public and sell unsuspecting customers cars with false odometers for thousands of dollars more than they would be valued had these vehicles displayed correct mileage. Mr. Garza violated several statutes and regulations designed to protect the consumer; my office will continue to prosecute these cases.”

Odometer fraud is a serious crime that costs Americans billions of dollars every year. This scourge makes our roads less safe for everyone by leading purchasers to believe their brake pads and other components are newer than they are. Buyers of these tampered vehicles were deprived of their vehicles’ full-service history and overpaid for vehicles nearing the end of their lifespans. NHTSA encourages everyone to learn how to identify odometer fraud before purchasing a used vehicle,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said.

Garza’s sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2026. Garza faces a statutory maximum of 3 years imprisonment per count. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob E. Brooks and Jeremy J. Kelley. 

Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. More information on odometer fraud, including prevention tips, is available on NHTSA’s website.