A 19-year-old Maryland man, Jayden Ballard, is accused of impersonating a police officer, gaining access to a police vehicle, and conducting illegal traffic stops. He remains on the run.
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According to a release issued by Maryland State Police (MSP), authorities were made aware of Ballard’s alleged actions back in February 2025. He was served a criminal summons on February 12, 2025, and was charged with impersonating a police officer and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
Allegedly, Ballard gained access to an MSP officer and, while operating the patrol vehicle with a police uniform, he conducted “unlawful traffic stops” throughout Wicomico County.
Photos provided by the MSP show the patrol vehicle that Ballard allegedly gained access to. Two photos also show Ballard wearing a beige uniform. A radio is attached to his chest, and one of the photos appears to show him inside the patrol car.
Alleged Unlawful Traffic Stop
Court documents obtained by WBOC detail an encounter between Ballard and one of his alleged victims.
At around 12:30 a.m., on January 12, the female victim was pulled over at South Division Street and Milford Street. The documents allege that the trooper, later identified as Ballard by the victim, failed to identify himself at the time. He only stated the reason he conducted the traffic stop.
After handing over her documents, Ballard allegedly returned to the MSP vehicle and then handed the victim a Maryland Criminal Victim Brochure. The victim found the interaction odd at the time. A month later, she learned that Ballard was not a Maryland State Trooper. Añllegedly, he had sent photos of himself in a police uniform to a woman on Snapchat, as per the documents.
Furthermore, it was alleged that Ballard lived with a trooper he had befriended. Eventually, the trooper learned that Ballard had allegedly posted photos in his MSP uniform. He reported the incident to his supervisors, the documents added. Additionally, the trooper stated he never gave authorization to Ballard to wear his uniform or drive his cruiser.
The trooper, unnamed, has been suspended with pay while an investigation is being carried out by MSP. Meanwhile, the MSP is asking anyone who interacted with Jayden Ballard to contact the MSP Criminal Enforcement Division.