Escape, Surrender, Rinse and Repeat
In 1966, when Motown learned of James’s fugitive status with the Navy, executives told him they wouldn’t release any of his material. They convinced him to come back to the U.S. and work out his legal issues. James then surrendered himself to the FBI and was ultimately sentenced (by the Navy) to five months of hard labor.
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The 19-year-old escaped from the Brooklyn Naval Brig after six weeks, marking him as a fugitive yet again for another six months. And, for a second time, he surrendered himself. James then found legal assistance from his cousin, Louis Stokes, the future Congressman, and attorney. As a result, James’s sentence went from a potential five years of hard labor to just five months.