Appalachian ‘Ghost Rider’ Arrested in South Carolina

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The ink-addled mastermind behind multiple bank robberies has drastically altered his appearance, as revealed in his latest booking photo — taken after calling 911 during a methamphetamine-fueled incident last week.

At around 4:00 a.m. EST on February 18, 2025, an officer of the Greenville Police Department (GPD) responded to a two-star hotel after a man reported chest pains amidst a “manic episode,” according to an incident report obtained by FITSNews.

“When I arrived on scene,” the officer noted, “I spoke to the front desk employee who stated that a male with tattoos on his face was walking through the hallway but did not seem to be in any distress… I then walked to the hotel room provided by dispatch.”

After receiving no answer from the caller’s room, the officer returned to the lobby for a keycard to conduct a welfare check. Before he could obtain it, the elevator doors opened, revealing a 5-foot-10-inch man whose face was completely enveloped by skull-themed tattoos.

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“A male with a face full of tattoos… approached me,” continued the officer. “I then asked if he called the police, and he stated he did… I asked what was going on and he stated that he used methamphetamines, and he felt like he was being followed and watched.”

As it was soon revealed, the man in the hotel lobby was more than just an inebriated 911 caller. Beneath his intricate layer of skull-themed tattoos was a name recognized by authorities — one linked to a series of bank robberies committed across the southern United States.

Originally from North Carolina, Jerry Hover Tinsley wasn’t always covered in fractured skull lines crisscrossing his face and ears, dark shading around his eyes and nose, or the depiction of teeth forming a skeletal grin across the lower half of his face.

Bearing the letters “FTF” across his chin, Tinsley’s forehead features a smaller skull emerging through a crack — complete with a piercing red eye.

Once a fair-skinned brunette with a neatly shaped goatee, decades of mugshots have documented the gradual spread of ink across his hands, chest, neck and hairline — rendering him virtually unrecognizable from his last sensational run in with authorities.

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Nearly seven years ago, a bank teller at Fifth Third Bank in Forest City, N.C., was handed a note saying, “this is a robbery, place all $100s, $50s, $20s on the counter no alarm no dye packs no tracers,” according to open source intelligence.

Surveillance images released by the Forest City Police Department (FCPD) identified Tinsley as the culprit. He fled the scene after failing to obtain a single dollar from the heist.

Bearing a prominent neck tattoo of what appears to be a wolf, he was arrested that afternoon, sporting a T-shirt reading, “no, you’re right, let’s do it the dumbest way possible because it’s easier for you.”

Then 38-years-old, Tinsley was still on probation after being released from federal prison for a trio of bank robberies committed with his girlfriend in 2010. Later dubbed the “Bonnie and Clyde defendants,” they pleaded guilty to stealing $9,512 during this felonious dalliance.

“Tinsley and [his girlfriend] picked banks along the [Alabama] state line because they believed… authorities could not pursue them into Florida,” reported journalists at that time. “Authorities believe in each robbery, the pair fled to Florida immediately after the holdups.”

A theory later proven wildly inaccurate, as a MySpace photo appears to have led federal agents to a Motel 6 in Destin, Florida, around March 18, 2010. Both Tinsley and his girlfriend fled from the scene, resulting in a “short chase” that ended in their arrest.

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Fast-forward nearly 14 years – when Tinsley found himself facing authorities again in the Upstate region of South Carolina. The once-notorious robber had called 911 on himself while high on methamphetamines — setting the stage for yet another wild arrest narrative.

After an ambulance arrived on scene, dispatch informed officers that Tinsley had an active warrant for larceny of a 2006 Ford Expedition — a vehicle he allegedly stole from the tow yard of his own employer, Bellinger & Son Wrecker Service, in Charlotte, N.C.

He was questioned while sitting in an ambulance.

“I asked Tinsley how he got here,” recounted the responding officer. “He stated, ‘In a Ford Expedition…’ He stated that he may as well go with me to jail. I then asked why he thought he would go to jail, and he stated that it was because he was in a stolen vehicle.”

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With no reported resistance, Tinsley had once again engineered his own downfall — this time through a self-reported crime leading investigators to the recovery of a stolen car on the “opposite side of the hotel,” according to a supplemental incident report.

“While conducting an inventory search of the Ford Expedition, [GPD] discovered a bag with a minor personal use amount of marijuana,” continued an officer. “Tinsley was not charged with this.”

Instead charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, the “Appalachian Ghost Rider” was granted a $5,000 cash surety bond that appears to remain unsatisfied.

As of this publishing, Tinsley remains incarcerated at the Greenville County detention center.

This story may be updated.

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THE RECEIPTS …

(Greenville Police Department)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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