A Sebree, Kentucky man will serve prison time after being convicted of drug dealing charges in Posey County.
On the afternoon of March 3, 2026, Benjamin Ballard, age 67, appeared in the Posey Circuit Court where he was sentenced by Judge Craig
Goedde to fifteen (15) years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Level 2 Felony,
and Maintaining a Common Nuisance, a Level 6 Felony.
As part of his guilty plea, Ballard admitted to possessing more than ten (10) grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute the illegal
drugs.
According to the Probable Cause Affidavit, on August 18, 2024, Deputy Max Aaron Straub with the Posey County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Ballard was driving for speeding and failing to have a working license plate light. When speaking with Ballard and his passenger, Deputy Straub observed both of them to demonstrate suspicious behavior such as shaking, sweating, and appearing nervous. Ballard gave law enforcement consent to search his vehicle, wherein deputies located over sixty (60) grams of methamphetamine.
During an interview with law enforcement, Ballard admitted that all of the methamphetamine in the vehicle belonged to him. Ballard further told investigators that he was just passing through Posey County on the way to pick up a hot tub he had purchased in Carmi, Illinois.
Ballard has prior criminal convictions out of multiple states, including Indiana, Kentucky, and Georgia.
Ballard was arrested without incident and transported to the Posey County Jail, where he has remained held on bond since the date of his arrest.
“This started as a traffic stop for a speeding ticket,” stated Posey County Prosecutor Thomas Clowers. “Mr. Ballard is not from Posey County, but he decided to tote a large amount of methamphetamine while traveling through our community. Thanks to the thorough traffic stop investigation conducted by the Posey County Sheriff’s Office, a large amount of methamphetamine and a drug dealer have been removed from society for an extended period of time.”
Ballard will be transported to the Indiana Department of Correction to serve his sentence.