Convicted felon charged for having firearm in his vehicle

Cornell J. Smith, 56, of Cleveland, Ohio, was charged with control of an offensive weapon by a felon at 8:22 a.m. March 23 in the 200 block of West Fourth Street North.

According to the criminal complaint, officers were called to the Best Western in Newton on a report of a suspicious male sitting in his car since the previous night. The Newton Police Department made contact with the man, who was identified as Smith by his Ohio driver’s license. Officers observed a 9mm handgun inside the vehicle, right next to Smith.

Police took possession of the weapon, which was loaded and had a round in the chamber. Smith told officers he was a felon, and a criminal history check was conducted. It revealed past convictions in May 1999, September 2000, April 2002, July 2005, June 2008, October 2008 and April 2009.

He was arrested on the Class D Felony charges and taken to the Jasper County Jail where he remains in custody on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. His preliminary hearing will be at 10 a.m. March 29.