Man accused of alleged murder-for-hire plot pleads guilty to manslaughter, serves sentence

TEXARKANA, Texas — A man accused of an alleged 2022 murder-for-hire plot has pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter, court records show.

Cedric Ballard, 54, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on May 17 after it was changed to murder, according to court records.

He was sentenced by 5th District Judge Bill Miller to 783 days in Bowie County Jail, but was ordered to serve time equivalent to the 785 days he spent in jail, records show judicial. He was also fined $5,000.

Ballard is represented by attorney Shorty Barrett.

Ballard was arrested in March 2022 and bail was set at $1 million. Investigators believed he conspired with Darquales McHenry, 35, in the death of Johnny Robinson, 52, of Texarkana, because of a disagreement with him.

McHenry was acquitted of murder by a Bowie County jury in December 2023.

Eric Marks, who was McHenry's court-appointed attorney, said the lack of physical evidence helped the jury reach its not guilty verdict.

Robinson was found unresponsive on March 22, 2022, on a couch in his home in the 500 block of Melton Street. He was taken to Wadley Regional Medical Center, where he died the next day.

Due to the apparent nature of his injuries, police investigated the case and sent Robinson's body to Dallas for an autopsy.