A Texas man will spend time in federal prison after a traffic stop in Yellowstone National Park led to the discovery of a loaded handgun.
According to federal court records, Ricardo Ballard, 52, of El Paso, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case started Oct. 27, 2024, when a ranger with the National Park Service pulled Ballard over for speeding inside Yellowstone. Authorities say Ballard was clocked at 75 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone.
During the stop, the ranger reported smelling burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. Ballard initially denied having marijuana or any weapons in the car but later acknowledged there were rolled marijuana joints inside.
A search of the vehicle turned up an unsealed bag of marijuana, three boxes of fireworks, and a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol in the back pocket of the passenger seat.
Ballard is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, a crime that previously sent him to prison for five years.
The investigation was handled by National Park Service Law Enforcement, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore.
U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl handed down the sentence Feb. 3 in Casper. The case was filed in federal court as No. 25-CR-00108.
It’s another reminder from federal officials that firearms restrictions for convicted felons apply everywhere — including on public lands and in America’s national parks.
Source: US DOJ press releasehttps://www.justice.gov/usao-wy/pr/activity-us-attorneys-office-69
Photo: NPS/Diane Renkin