James Robert “Gypsy” Shoulders
SALINE CO.— A Harrisburg man who has spent the better part of a decade in prison is now facing felony drug charges.
According to reports, the incident began to unfold December 28, 2016 at 8 a.m. when Harrisburg officer Brent Davis was on routine patrol, driving westbound on Baker Street, when an older model silver Ford pickup truck pulled out of an alleyway and then proceed to turn onto Granger Street without using a turn signal or coming to a complete stop.
Davis said that he activated his emergency lights, which caused the driver to look into the side view mirror… but he refused to stop.
Davis then activated his siren and again the driver refused to stop.
After traveling approximately five blocks, with both lights and siren activated, the driver pulled the truck over, in a grassy area in the 300 block of West Walnut and attempted to get out of the vehicle.
Davis ordered the driver, identified as James Robert “Gypsy” Shoulders, 52, of 315 West Walnut, Harrisburg, back into the vehicle.
When the officer asked Shoulders for proof of identification and insurance, Shoulders informed him that he could not find any of the information being requested.
When dispatch ran Shoulders’ information through police computers, they reported back that his license had been revoked.
The officer asked Shoulders why he hadn’t stopped and he said, “Sorry.”
Davis asked who the truck belonged to, and Shoulders responded by saying the truck was his and telling the officer that he was living at the spot where he pulled the pickup over.
Shoulders had no title and dispatch notified Davis the vehicle was actually registered to Roxana Sutherland. A title search indicated that Sutherland also legally owned the vehicle, not Mr. Shoulders.
Shoulders continued to say he owned the truck and even had a title somewhere, but couldn’t tell officer Davis whom he purchased the vehicle from.
Registration on the truck was shown to have expired May of 2014.
Shoulders was taken into custody for Driving Revoked and was transported to the county jail by Saline County Deputy Steve Sloan.
A tow inventory of the vehicle turned up a silver spoon in the flip-down sun visor on the driver’s side.
The spoon had a brownish/ tan residue on the spoon, which tested positive for methamphetamine.
Shoulders’ criminal history in Saline County includes a conviction August 26, 1987 of Escape, which earned him a sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) of seven years.
Shoulders was also arrested July 21, 2006 and charged with Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Driving Revoked, Criminal Trespass to a Residence and Reckless Driving.
Shoulders was found guilty August 18, 2006 on the possession charge and sentenced to IDOC for four years and ordered to pay $6,625.87 in fines and fees, of which he hasn’t bothered paying anything.
At the time of his most recent arrest, Shoulders was already serving a sentence of probation for 30 months, following a March 3, 2016 conviction for Theft.
In addition to probation, Shoulders was sentenced to 40 days in jail and ordered to pay $3,946 in fines and fees, of which he has only paid $15.
Along with the driving revoked charge, Shoulders was also charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Cash bond in the case was set at $1,000.