40-year-old Robert William Shook of Taylorsville was ordered to serve 20-33 months in prison during a February session of Alexander County Superior Court. Shook pleaded no contest to interfering with an electronic monitoring device. The charge dates to March, 2021 when he was arrested by Taylorsville Police. On March 23, 2021 Officers with the Taylorsville Police Department arrested Shook, who listed an Asheville address at the time. Shook was charged with felony interfering with an electronic monitoring device and felony probation violation on that date.

Shook has multiple convictions listed on the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Offender Public Information website. The convictions date back to 2000 and occurred in multiple counties including Yancey, Iredell, Wilkes, Catawba, and Alexander. He’s been convicted of numerous charges including felony counts of breaking & entering, larceny after breaking & entering, malicious conduct by a prisoner, possession of a firearm by a felon, larceny of a motor vehicle, and receiving a stolen vehicle. Following the sentencing in February, Shook was incarcerated at Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury.

Another Taylorsville man received a prison sentence during a February session of Alexander County Superior Court. 39-year-old Jeffrey Allen Bortz was found guilty of felony counts of possession of methamphetamine and larceny of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to 20-33 months in prison.

Bortz also has multiple convictions listed on the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Offender Public Information website. The convictions date back to 1999 with a majority occurring in Alexander County. Bortz also has convictions listed in Catawba, Iredell, and Lincoln Counties. The charges include felony counts of breaking & entering, larceny, uttering a forged instrument, habitual felon, larceny of a motor vehicle and receiving a stolen vehicle. Bortz was also incarcerated at Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury.

[Information for this story courtesy of Rick Gilbert, WACB and from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Offender Public Information website. Photos of defendants courtesy of Rick Gilbert, WACB]