Defendant with Prior Felonies Adjudicated as Habitual Criminal

Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

A Sparks man has been sentenced as a Habitual Criminal and given 20 years in prison with parole eligibility after 8 years, after pleading guilty to the charge of Owning or Possessing a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. Patrick Shipley (dob 6/22/56) had multiple prior felony convictions before this case, primarily in California.  His criminal history includes multiple convictions for Forgery, Burglary, Drug Possession, and Firearm offenses.

The most recent case against Shipley began in May of 2021, when a Washoe County Sheriff’s Deputy saw the defendant driving on the shoulder of a local road, going 15 miles per hour under the speed limit, with the car’s hazard lights flashing. After initiating a traffic stop, a records check revealed Shipley was a felon and part of the Repeat Offender Program. Following an open-air sniff test of the scene by a K9, deputies found methamphetamine, marijuana, and a single-action revolver hidden under the vehicle’s dash. 

Over the course of the investigation, a letter was provided by the defendant from a third party, stating the gun in the car was his and not the defendant’s. ROP detectives were able to track down that person and interview him, where he ultimately confessed to writing the letter at the request of Shipley, and that the information in the letter was false.

During sentencing, Chief Deputy District Attorney Matt Lee argued that the defendant demonstrates all the hallmarks of a repeat criminal offender, having almost constant involvement with the criminal justice system since he began committing crime five decades ago.  The Honorable Judge Kathleen Sigurdson presided and imposed the sentence.