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. 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.”
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones commented on the incident: “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.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, on July 21, 2023, Ballard was driving a Nissan Maxima when he cut off a Georgia State Patrol trooper in Atlanta. After the officer activated his emergency equipment to stop him, Ballard fled at high speed through a residential neighborhood, running stop signs and nearly hitting another vehicle.
The chase ended when Ballard crashed into a stop sign and fled on foot. He fired at least three shots at the pursuing trooper before escaping. Law enforcement agencies including the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office joined efforts to locate Ballard, who was eventually arrested while on probation for robbery.
Ballard's firearm was identified as a Glock 19 9mm handgun equipped with an illegal device converting it into a machine gun capable of continuous fire.
U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee sentenced Montrez Ballard, aged 21 from Hampton, Ga., to ten years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dwayne A. Brown Jr.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to reduce violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement and communities.
For more information contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office via email or phone as provided above.
