District Attorney Collin Sims announces that on March 18, 2026, the Honorable Judge Scott Gardner sentenced 57-year-old Cordell Parker of Slidell to 20 years in the Department of Corrections, without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, for his role in a violent 2025 assault. Judge Gardner further designated the crimes as crimes of violence.
The sentencing follows a February 25, 2026, trial where a St. Tammany Parish jury found Parker guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Attempted Illegal Use of Weapons or Dangerous Instrumentalities during a crime of violence. Assistant District Attorneys Gary Tromblay and Jay Adair prosecuted the case.
The charges stem from an incident on January 31, 2025. A repossession agent for Spartan Recovery arrived at a residence on C L Parker Road in Slidell to recover a 2017 Mercedes-Benz. While the agent was performing his duties, Parker approached him, appearing angry. Under the guise of retrieving personal belongings from the car, Parker returned from his residence armed with a semi-automatic handgun.
Parker then held the agent at gunpoint, forced the disconnect of the vehicle, and placed the barrel of the pistol against the victim’s forehead. He ordered the victim to his knees and threatened to execute him. As the victim managed to flee the scene, a gunshot was fired. Parker was later apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service.
During the sentencing hearing on March 18, 2026, the victim read a harrowing statement to the court detailing the lasting trauma of the encounter.
"I will NEVER forget the look on your face, and the anger in your eyes," the victim told the court. "I will NEVER forget what the barrel of that gun felt like against my skin. I will NEVER forget the second I heard you shoot that gun. You wanted to kill me. You wanted to take my life."
The victim described how the assault forced him to quit his job and left him struggling with severe depression and constant fear. "I felt like I had to watch over my shoulder anywhere I went...all of this over a car for you, and money for my family."
DA Sims emphasized that the 20-year sentence reflects both the severity of the crime and Parker’s extensive criminal history, spanning four decades. Parker’s prior record includes convictions for theft, simple burglary, drug charges, and attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
"This defendant has spent forty years proving he has no regard for the law or the lives of others," said DA Sims. "Today’s sentence ensures that he will no longer be a threat to those in our community who are simply trying to do their jobs and provide for their families. We stand with the victim, whose bravery in facing his attacker in court helped ensure that justice was served."
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