Cornelious guilty of weapons charge, unauthorized use

A Caddo Parish jury Tuesday, February 24, 2026, convicted Jamaria Wanya Cornelious, 30, of unlawfully possessing a firearm and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

The unanimous five-woman, seven-man jury in District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.'s court returned its guilty-as-charged verdicts after deliberating less than 30 minutes. Prosecutors gave their opening statement Tuesday morning and called four witnesses before resting.  The defense called a single witness in its case, and the jury reached its verdict by 4 p.m.

On October 8, 2024, Shreveport police responded to a suspicious person call at the Sonic restaurant in the 7100 block of Mansfield Road.  Defendant Cornelious was attempting to drive away from the scene when the officer arrived and blocked his way out of the parking lot. When the officer asked Cornelious to step out of his vehicle, he abruptly put the car in reverse and fled to the rear of the parking lot.  As the officer attempted to approach a second time, Cornelious fled back to the front of the parking lot where he attempted to escape, but a collision ensued that stopped the vehicle. Cornelious was handcuffed and taken into custody.

When officers searched the car, which was reported as stolen, they found a Glock handgun hidden underneath the front passenger seat. Based on Cornelious's own admissions, prosecutors were able to establish that he knew about the weapon and possessed it. Prosecutors showed that Cornelious had been convicted of indecent behavior with a juvenile in 2015 and illegal use of a weapon in 2014, crimes that precluded him from legally possessing a firearm.

In addition to the prior convictions listed, Cornelious has a conviction for attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2020 in Bossier Parish. When Cornelious returns for sentencing March 10, 2026, prosecutors will request to have him sentenced under the Louisiana Habitual Offender Statute. Under that law, he faces a prison sentence of at least 6 and 2/3 years and up to 40 years, served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on the firearms conviction, and at least 20 years up to life in prison for the unauthorized use conviction.

Assistant District Attorneys Christopher S. Bowman and Jason Waltman prosecuted Cornelious. He was defended by David Shepherd.

The case was docket No. 404576.