Cornell Shelton, Illegal Firearms, Louisiana 2023

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Cornell Devon Shelton, 33, of Sulphur, Louisiana, will spend the next decade in federal prison after being sentenced to 120 months for illegally possessing firearms, a judge ruled Thursday. The repeat offender, already saddled with a criminal record, was found with three separate weapons on three different occasions, a clear violation of federal law.

The case, spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) alongside local law enforcement, revealed a pattern of disregard for the law. The first incident unfolded on June 23, 2020, when Sulphur Police officers observed Shelton allegedly engaging in a narcotics transaction in a motel parking lot. A search revealed a Taurus 9mm handgun conveniently located on the driver’s seat, matching a holster Shelton wore on his waist.

Less than three months later, on September 1, 2020, detectives with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office pulled over a vehicle Shelton occupied during a Hurricane Laura curfew violation at the Sulphur Truck Stop and Casino. Inside, deputies discovered a stolen Diamondback .308 rifle. The weapon, already flagged as stolen, added another layer of severity to the charges. Shelton, already a convicted felon, had no legal right to possess any firearm, let alone stolen property.

The third and final straw came on March 21, 2021. A Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Shelton. With Shelton’s consent, the deputy searched the vehicle and located a Beretta 9mm pistol wedged between the driver’s seat and the console. ATF agents later confirmed all three firearms were operational. The sheer volume of weapons, combined with Shelton’s criminal history, sealed his fate.

Shelton’s prior convictions, dating back to 2013, include deadly conduct – discharging a firearm in the direction of an individual – along with two drug-related offenses in 2015 and 2017 for possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and simple possession, respectively. U.S. District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. clearly took these priors into account when handing down the 120-month sentence, followed by three years of supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy prosecuted the case, built on investigations from the ATF, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Sulphur Police Department. The collaborative effort sent a clear message: illegally possessing firearms, especially with a prior record, will be met with serious federal consequences. Shelton’s case serves as a stark reminder that repeat offenders will face the full weight of the law.

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