He evaded arrest for two years, then he cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet. Now he’s in jail

More than two years after warrants were issued for his arrest, James Sims appeared in court with more than $1 million in bonds keeping him in jail.

Sims, 59, of Palmetto, appeared before Circuit Judge Robert Farrance via video conference Tuesday from the Manatee County jail.

Jail records show he was being held on $1.5 million in bonds after being served with warrants for violating his supervised release.

Sims was on supervised release for other cases pending before the 12th Judicial Circuit Court. He was served with warrants in those cases on Sept. 18 — more than two years after they were issued on Sept. 11, 2015.

Sims was gone “in the wind” for two years, according to Assistant State Attorney Charlie Lawrence. During a bond hearing on Oct. 10, 2017, he was granted supervised release and electronic monitoring. However he cut off the monitor on Nov. 11.

Sims also did not call supervised release officials to notify them of his status; instead he ignored calls. He didn’t tell supervised release officials until they came to his residence that he removed the bracelet because it was cutting off his circulation, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

He was on supervised release for cases relating to two counts of intimidating a public official and three counts of simulating a legal process, all third-degree felonies, after he attempted to file false liens against judges who had ruled against him in foreclosure cases and serve legal documents to renters of homes he no longer owned, court records show.

According to court records, Sims also faces two counts of grand theft, a third-degree felony. He stands accused of collecting rent money for homes he had lost to foreclosure.

Probable cause affidavits show Sims repeatedly calling himself a sovereign citizen.

During Tuesday’s first appearance hearing, Lawrence noted that Sims’ showed motivation to flee when he cut off his bracelet and requested he be held without bond. Judge Farrance did not change the bond amount during the first appearance hearing.

Sims told Farrance he intends to hire a private attorney to represent him in the case. He remained in jail Tuesday.

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 4:25 PM with the headline "He evaded arrest for two years, then he cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet. Now he’s in jail."