Myrtle Beach man charged with pretending to be a police officer

A Myrtle Beach man was charged with pretending to be an agent with the State Law Enforcement Division and making a traffic stop on a woman in March, according to authorities.

Joseph Michael DePace, 51, of Myrtle Beach was booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center at 8:34 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to jail records. DePace was released at 6:56 p.m. on $1,500 bail.

SLED agents investigated the incident after receiving complaints about DePace stopping a woman in Myrtle Beach in March and showing her a badge and telling her he could arrest her for reckless driving, according to an arrest affidavit. DePace represented himself as a SLED agent and had a blue light and siren in his black Toyota Sequoia and had tinted windows.

If convicted, DePace faces up to a year in prison or a fine of $500.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Myrtle Beach man charged with pretending to be a police officer."