Cortez Ward sentenced for illegal possession of ammunition

MINNEAPOLIS -- The second of two twin brothers who pleaded guilty of federal firearms violations has now been sentenced.

Cortez Ward received a 30-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release on Monday, court records show. His brother, Quantez Ward, was sentenced in April to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release.

Both men pleaded guilty last November - Quantez Ward to illegal possession of a firearm as a felon and Cortez Ward to illegal possession of ammunition as a felon.

Per the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota, the brothers were pulled over in Maple Grove in May 2022, and a pistol was found on Cortez Ward during the traffic stop. Two months later, authorities searched the Wards' home, finding multiple firearms.

The twins were out on probation at the time of the traffic stop after pleading guilty to possession of machine guns in Hennepin County, the attorney's office said. Those charges stemmed from an incident in which the two brought guns modified with auto sears to "the funeral of a known gang member," according to the attorney's office.