Gary Lynn Ward, Steroid Trafficking, Louisiana 2024

MONROE, La. – Gary Lynn Ward, 51, of St. Charles, Missouri, is headed back to prison for a significant stretch after a brazen attempt to evade justice. Ward was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty to 18 months, to run consecutive to a previous 46-month sentence, bringing his total incarceration to a hefty 64 months. The case highlights the federal government’s commitment to ensuring sentences are served, even when defendants try to run.

The saga began in 2015 when Ward, a former resident of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He received a 46-month prison term on June 29, 2015, and was ordered to self-surrender on August 3, 2015. A motion for an extension was granted, pushing the surrender date to September 14, 2015, but that wouldn’t deter Ward’s desperate bid for freedom.

On the very day he was supposed to report to prison, Ward’s wife contacted the U.S. Marshals Service in Shreveport with alarming news: they were driving to St. Louis, Missouri, so Ward could surrender to Marshals there. But the trip took a dark turn at a gas station. Ward, clearly unwilling to face the consequences of his actions, declared he “was not going back to jail,” forcibly ejected his wife from the vehicle, and sped off, abandoning any pretense of compliance.

He didn’t just disappear; he actively fled. Ward never reported to the U.S. Marshals in St. Louis, nor did he show up at the designated Bureau of Prisons facility – FCI Forrest City Low in Forrest City, Arkansas. For over a year, he remained a fugitive, forcing a dedicated investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Prisons. The chase finally ended on January 7, 2017, when law enforcement agents apprehended Ward in the St. Louis area.

The additional 18-month sentence serves as a stark reminder that attempting to evade justice carries severe penalties. Ward’s initial steroid conviction, coupled with his flight from authorities, has now landed him a total of 64 months behind bars. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown, demonstrating the federal government’s resolve in pursuing those who attempt to circumvent the legal process.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Ward’s actions not only prolonged his own legal troubles but also wasted valuable law enforcement resources on a preventable manhunt. The Grimy Times will continue to follow federal cases like this, exposing the underbelly of crime and holding offenders accountable.