2nd Of Maple Grove Pair Sentenced On Federal Ammo Charge

MAPLE GROVE, MN — A Maple Grove man was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after he was convicted of illegal ammunition possession, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced.

Cortez Ward was sentenced Monday in federal court. His twin brother, Quantez Ward, was sentenced back in April on a weapons charge.

In January 2022, Cortez and Quantez — both 20 — faced charges in Hennepin County for possession of machine guns after they brought weapons to the funeral of a known gang member, according to authorities.

They pleaded guilty later that spring and were released on probation.

But on May 6, 2022, Cortez Ward and his brother were pulled over by the Maple Grove police department, investigators said.

Cortez was found in possession of an unserialized Polymer 80 pistol with a large-capacity magazine loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition on his person, according to authorities.

Quantez had an AK-style gun in a backpack in the car, investigators said.

On July 19, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal arrest warrant at the Ward brothers’ residence. There they found a 9mm Ruger rifle, a H&K MP5 rifle and a Polymer 80 pistol with a switch, according to authorities.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Maple Grove Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp prosecuted the case.