Shortly after midnight, on the morning of Monday, January 23, 2023, deputy James Richey "Bo" Geiger was arrested for driving while intoxicated by North Myrtle Beach police.
According to police, Geiger was driving erratically and repeatedly struck the curb. He was off duty and driving his personal vehicle. According to a police report, he was leaving Thee DollHouse, a Myrtle Beach strip club. The report noted Geiger admitted to having three mixed drinks; his blood alcohol content was 0.12% — over the .08% limit, but under the .16% level with stiffer penalties. According to Horry County court records, this is Geiger’s first DUI offense.
Starting that day, Geiger was suspended without pay for two weeks, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). It’s not clear if Geiger’s arrest resulted in the suspension of his North Carolina driver’s license, or the issuance of a provisional ‘paper license,’ but the week of the incident, the Sheriff’s Office took away his county-issued vehicle, a 2014 Chevy Tahoe he had been driving since March of 2021.
Geiger was hired by BCSO in late 2016, and since May of 2021 had been a member of the BCSO “I.M.P.A.C.T.” team, an outreach program that serves to “educate citizens about current laws and techniques to deter and prevent criminal activities,” according to social media posts from the Sheriff’s Office.
Following Geiger’s suspension, he was moved to the county jail as a detention officer. For the next ten months, while serving in that capacity, he was not issued a county vehicle, according to BCSO.
In May 2023, he was reclassified as a bailiff, and the next month, in June, he received a roughly 8% merit raise, from $56,028 to $60,427. In November of 2023, Geiger was reissued a vehicle, this time a 2018 Dodge Charger.
County records show that in February of this year, Geiger was promoted to sergeant; Brunswick County’s Human Resources currently listed him with that title.
However, BCSO clarified that this was not actually a promotion, noting Geiger is still a deputy — not a sergeant — and still working as a bailiff.
“Deputy Geiger was moved into a position that was designated for a sergeant's position. He was not promoted to the rank of sergeant and his salary was not increased. It was simply a position or spot that could be filled. So in terms of paperwork for HR, it shows he is in a position designated for a sergeant, but he does not hold the rank of sergeant and he was not promoted,” BCSO spokesperson Emily Flax told WHQR.
According to the Myrtle Beach municipal court, no trial date has been set for Geiger’s case, although the next available is the week of April 22. He has been assessed $1,224.50 in fines. Geiger's attorney, Myrtle Beach-based William H. Monckton, VI, said because the case was still pending he could not comment.
