Warm Springs man pleads guilty to manslaughter

A 35-year-old Warm Springs man pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Portland federal courtroom to to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in a 2017 crash that killed two people, as well as one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, federal prosecutors said.

According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2017, Harold Blackwolf Jr. was at a friend’s house on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.

While under the influence of alcohol, Blackwolf left his friend’s house and got into his Dodge Durango, a sport utility vehicle. Blackwolf drove away at a high rate of speed, with his headlights off.

As he was departing, he struck two men who were in the road, killing both.

Blackwolf, a convicted felon, was arrested on April 20, 2018 and found to be in possession of a single firearm, a Taurus .38 special revolver.

Involuntary manslaughter is punishable by up to eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release. Possessing a firearm as a felon is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release.

Blackwolf will be sentenced on June 11 before U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown.

The government will seek an order of restitution on behalf of Blackwolf’s victims at sentencing.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Benjamin Tolkoff, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.