Manhattan man found guilty of handgun possession in Warren County

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- A Warren County jury delivered a guilty verdict on Tuesday for a Manhattan man possessing a handgun during a traffic stop in Queensbury on Dec. 14, 2023. Novashawn Bannister, 29, was convicted of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison if considered a persistent felon.

Bannister, who has several drug-related convictions, was stopped on Old Mill Lane in Queensbury by the Warren County Sheriff's Office. Police found he had a loaded .380-caliber Taurus semiautomatic handgun in the vehicle during the traffic stop.

Bannister is scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday, Sept. 18. He is being held in Warren County Jail until his sentencing.