ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock Express founder and CEO Reid Ryan announced Wednesday that the Round Rock Express have acquired Billy Ray "Rojo" Johnson. The right-handed pitcher will be in uniform for Thursday's 7:05 p.m. CDT game against the Nashville Sounds.

Johnson, who was born in East Texas but was raised in Venezuela, recently had his prison sentence commuted. He served time for running a smuggling ring that imported rare and illegal species of reptiles into the United States from South America during the mid-to-late 1990s. Thursday night's game marks Johnson's first in American professional baseball after a storied career in the Venezuelan leagues.

Round Rock continues its four-game series against Nashville with the series' third game Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT at The Dell Diamond.