North Myrtle Beach man arrested for faking his identity to Horry tow truck companies

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article had an incorrect statement on Ramsey’s charges. Ramsey’s charges remain pending. (Updated at 12:30 p.m. on 01/13/2023.) .

A North Myrtle Beach man was arrested last week for allegedly stealing vehicles and pretending to be a county official.

Jeffrey Richard Ramsey, 64, of North Myrtle Beach, was booked at the J Reuben Long Detention Center on Jan. 5 and charged with imitation of an organization, two charges of grand larceny, impersonating a judge or an official, and three charges of obtaining a signature under false pretenses.

Ramsey was released that same afternoon, and his bond was disposed.

On Nov. 22, Horry County Police Department officers responded to a vehicle theft in the Longs section of Horry County.

A car owner called dispatch after Ramsey told a tow truck driver with Riverside Towing to pick up a 2003 Ford Taurus, claiming he was a part of a county pilot program.

The tow truck driver said he was sent to pick up three other cars prior to this, and that Ramsey told him it was a “county project to help clean things up,” the incident report states.

According to arrest warrants, Ramsey acted out a similar scheme that day involving a 1981 Jeep at Grand Strand Pick and Pull. The warrants say he intended to sell the vehicles to the towing companies.

Ramsey conducted similar schemes on Nov. 6 and 12 with Grand Strand Pick and Pull.

Ramsey used a fake business card containing the county logo and a government address to present himself to the tow truck companies, the warrant states.

Riverside Towing declined a request for comment made by The Sun News. Grand Strand Pick and Pull has not responded to a request for comment.

Ramsey’s charges remain pending, according to Tonya Root, a spokesperson for the Horry County Solicitor’s Office and Horry County Government.

This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 8:00 AM.