April 27, 2023
A Shreveport man was convicted of a felony weapon possession charge in absentia in Caddo District Court this week and now is on the run from authorities.
Ladarrius Hodge, 25, who was free on bond, failed to appear in District Judge Ramona Emanuel’s court Tuesday, April 25, 2023, one day after his trial on possession of a firearm by a convicted felon began. Over defense objections, Judge Emanuel allowed the trial to resume, with the eight-woman, four-man jury empaneled that day.
Late Wednesday, April 26, the jury returned its unanimous guilty-as-charged verdict after a half-hour of deliberation.
The court and the Caddo DA’s office have issued a bench warrant for Hodge’s arrest. Anyone with formation of his whereabouts should contact the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s office.
Hodge was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Shreveport Police April 2, 2021 for multiple traffic violations at Fairfield Avenue and 70th Street. Officers who stopped the car smelled marijuana smoke from the car and asked Hodge and the driver, his girlfriend, to exit the vehicle.
During a search of a backpack Hodge had, officers found a 9mm Hi-Point handgun with a high-capacity extended magazine. At trial, Hodge’s girlfriend attempted to testify the gun was in her possession, but under prosecution questioning she admitted the gun belonged to Hodge.
When Hodge is brought back into custody, he faces a prison sentence of at least five and up to 20 years to be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Assistant District Attorneys Christopher Bowman and Fernando Grider Jr. prosecuted. Katie Ferguson and Evan McMichael defended Hodge.
The case was docket No. 382125.
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