SPOKANE, WA — A former corrections officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs has been sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for sexually assaulting a female inmate during transport, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
U.S. District Judge Mary K. Dimke handed down the 14-year sentence to Darren Bowannie, 35, on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of an Inmate in Federal Custody. Following his prison term, Bowannie will serve 10 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the assault occurred on February 9, 2024, while Bowannie was transporting a female inmate from Wellpinit to the Colville Tribal Correctional Facility in Nespelem. During the trip, he pulled over and sexually assaulted the inmate, who was restrained by hand and foot. The victim reported the assault immediately upon arrival at the facility, prompting an investigation by the FBI. DNA evidence recovered from the victim corroborated her account, despite Bowannie initially denying the assault to investigators.
Officials condemned Bowannie’s actions, calling them a breach of public trust.
“Every person taken into custody is entitled to the protection of their physical safety and civil rights,” said Richard Melville, Deputy Bureau Director for the BIA Office of Justice Services. “The actions of Mr. Bowannie were a betrayal of that public trust.”
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, said Bowannie “broke that oath with a cruel and senseless act of sexual violence,” adding that the FBI remains committed to holding law enforcement officers accountable when they abuse their authority.
U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano praised the victim’s courage in reporting the assault, noting that her actions helped ensure Bowannie “is no longer in a position of trust where he may try to commit similar conduct.”
The investigation involved the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Colville Tribal Police Department, the Spokane Tribal Police Department, and the Washington State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Ellis and Timothy M. Durkin prosecuted the case.
