Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
ATLANTA – Montrez Ballard has been sentenced to ten years in prison after firing a machine gun at a Georgia State Patrol officer.
“Ballard’s brazen actions endangered the life of a law enforcement officer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Moultrie, Jr. “This lengthy prison sentence reflects Ballard’s dangerous, and potentially lethal, attack on a Georgia State Patrol trooper whose very mission is to help keep our community safe.”
“The swift and coordinated response of law enforcement ensured that a dangerous individual was taken off the streets before he could inflict further harm. ATF will not stand by while criminals use illegally modified weapons to terrorize our communities. We will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who believe they can act without consequence,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 21, 2023, Ballard, driving a Nissan Maxima, abruptly cut off a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) trooper in Atlanta. Ballard fled from the trooper after the officer activated his emergency equipment to stop Ballard. In his attempt to evade the trooper, Ballard drove more than 20 miles per hour above the speed limit in a residential neighborhood, ran stop signs, and nearly struck another motorist.
Minutes into the chase, Ballard’s vehicle crashed into a stop sign. Ballard then exited his vehicle and fled on foot. When the trooper chased him, Ballard confronted the officer and fired at least three shots at the trooper. The trooper returned fire but Ballard escaped.
Other law enforcement agencies, including the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, responded to help locate Ballard. Officers eventually arrested Ballard – who was on probation for a state robbery offense at the time – and recovered his firearm. Ballard’s gun, a Glock 19 9mm handgun, was examined and determined to be equipped with a device that converted the weapon into a machine gun, allowing the gun to fire continuously without multiple trigger pulls.
Montrez Ballard, 21, of Hampton, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to ten years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Dwayne A. Brown, Jr. prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.