Ryan K. Buchanan, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
Montrez Ballard has been sentenced to ten years in prison for firing a machine gun at a Georgia State Patrol officer. Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Moultrie, Jr. stated, “Ballard’s brazen actions endangered the life of a law enforcement officer.” He added that the sentence reflects the severity of Ballard's attack on a trooper tasked with community safety.
Alicia D. Jones from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives commented on the swift response by law enforcement that led to Ballard's arrest. She said, "ATF will not stand by while criminals use illegally modified weapons to terrorize our communities."
The incident occurred on July 21, 2023, when Ballard cut off a Georgia State Patrol trooper in Atlanta and fled after being signaled to stop. During the pursuit, he drove recklessly through a residential area before crashing into a stop sign and fleeing on foot. He fired at least three shots at the pursuing trooper but managed to escape initially.
Law enforcement agencies including the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office collaborated in locating and arresting Ballard, who was already on probation for robbery. His firearm was found to be illegally modified into a machine gun.
U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee sentenced Montrez Ballard, 21, from Hampton, Ga., to ten years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dwayne A. Brown Jr. prosecuted this case under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime.
For more information contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office or visit their website.
Alerts Sign-up