A brutal attack behind bars has landed a South Carolina inmate in federal prison for 15 years. Jerry Ernest Ballard, 41, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for committing assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a prohibited object at the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City.
The assault occurred on August 10, 2023, when Ballard, who was serving a 336-month federal sentence for four counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and drug trafficking offense, attacked another inmate with a sharpened object—a shank. The victim sustained injuries but recovered.
On February 20, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment against Ballard, charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a prohibited object. Ballard pleaded guilty on July 17, 2024, and admitted to assaulting another inmate at the FTC with a prohibited object.
U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Ballard to serve 180 months in federal prison, to run consecutive to his existing sentence. In announcing his sentence, Judge Palk noted Ballard’s history of assaultive behavior and the need for just punishment.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon prosecuted the case.
Defendant: Jerry Ernest Ballard
Criminal Charges: Assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a prohibited object
City and State: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Crime Date: August 10, 2023
Sentence: 180 months in federal prison, to run consecutive to his existing sentence
Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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