North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — A speeding ticket led to the arrest of a North Carolina sought man suspected of more than $1 million in retail fraud nationwide, according to a North Myrtle Beach Police social media statement on Wednesday.
According to police, shortly after 7:30 p.m. on November 7, an officer stopped a car on Highway 17 for speeding. According to the police report, the driver, Suras Rostas, had a suspended license and was wanted in Missouri, Ohio, and Texas.
According to the police report, his 2008 Lexus had a temporary South Carolina license plate that seemed to be incorrectly formatted. Suras, 21, did not have a driver’s license when questioned by a police, according to the report, and instead offered the officer a North Carolina registration card.
He also told the officer that he had just purchased the car and did not have insurance, according to the report. According to the complaint, he then presented the officer a phony driver’s license with a Queens, New York address. He also did not possess a passport.
The officer eventually discovered that the car was last owned by State Farm Insurance.
While investigating Rojas’ background, the officer discovered that he had a North Carolina driver’s license that had been suspended for failure to appear, according to the report. The officer was also informed by dispatch that he was wanted for forgery and larcenies, and that he was suspected of being involved in crimes totaling more than a million dollars across the nation.
This resulted in his arrest on accusations of speeding, operating an uninsured car, driving while suspended, and possessing an altered/defaced vehicle registration with intent to defraud. He remains at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
“Regular traffic stops can lead to much bigger things,” explained 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson to News13 on Thursday.
Richardson stated that Rostas originally pleaded guilty to theft in federal court. He was offered the opportunity to repay it through drug court, but he stopped going, leaving an outstanding warrant on his record.
“He was just as likely to have been picked up in Carson City, Nevada, or Memphis, Tennessee, or anywhere else,” Richardson told me.
Richardson further stated that in many circumstances, a drug court program can lead to drug-free outcomes. However, when Rostas stopped going, his name was added to a national internet database.
“That computer doesn’t worry about state lines,” Richardson remarked. “It doesn’t care if it’s federal or state. If your name is in there, it will appear on all of the police officers’ computers. And a single traffic infringement might force you to go for years.”
He adds that when suspects know they have a warrant out for their arrest, they usually proceed with caution.
“Which is crazy that you would speed, but hey, it happens,” Richardson remarked.
Richardson also stated that Rostas will be returned to federal court in Florence to face his original charges and sentence. He said he’s just grateful no one was wounded, and that his arrest exemplifies good police work.