Sean Nicolos Ramsey, 32, of Festus has been charged with eight felonies stemming from two incidents on Dec. 26 when he allegedly robbed a Crystal City store, stole a car outside the business and then assaulted and disarmed a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was investigating the robbery and carjacking. The deputy’s gun was fired during the alleged assault, but no one was struck, according to court documents.
Ramsey was charged in the two cases on Dec. 27.
In the first case, he was charged with first-degree robbery and vehicle hijacking, both class A felonies punishable by 10 to 30 years or life in prison.
In the other one, he was charged with first-degree assault involving a law enforcement officer, also a class A felony punishable by 10 to 30 years or life in prison; two counts of armed criminal action, each one an unclassified felony punishable by three to 15 years in prison; disarming a peace officer and unlawful possession of a firearm, each one a class D felony that carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison; and resisting a lawful detention, a class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison.
Ramsey, who had been released from prison just 12 days prior to the incidents, was charged as a prior and persistent offender, which means he is subject to an extended term of imprisonment.
In court documents, assistant prosecuting attorney Courtney Goodwin said Ramsey faces 60 years in prison for the robbery and hijacking case and 87 years in prison for the other charges.
According to court documents, on Dec. 26, Ramsey allegedly stole a bong from the Crystal City Cannabis Dispensary, 100 N. Truman Blvd. When someone confronted Ramsey while he reportedly was stealing the bong, he allegedly pulled out what appeared to be a black handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the employee, saying, "Not a good idea, big man.”
Ramsey then left the store and reportedly got into a 2008 Pontiac G6, and when a person inside the vehicle tried to prevent Ramsey from stealing it, he allegedly pressed a gun against the person’s ribs and took the car, the probable-cause statement in the case said.
After the alleged robbery and car theft, the Jefferson County deputy went to Ramsey’s home to investigate the incidents and encountered the suspect in the driveway and told him he was being detained for a felony offense.
Ramsey allegedly refused to place his hands behind his back, and the situation escalated to a physical altercation, resulting in the two hitting each other, the report said.
During the altercation, the deputy got on top of Ramsey to gain control of him, but Ramsey allegedly grabbed the deputy’s department-issued pistol from its holster and fired one round, which went through the bottom of the holster and did not strike either man, the probable-cause statement said.
“The deputy was able to reholster the firearm and ultimately was able to place the defendant in handcuffs once additional deputies arrived on scene,” the probable-cause statement said.
The deputy’s right hand was broken during the altercation and his face under his left eye was bruised, the report said.
According to a written statement from Sheriff Dave Marshak, Ramsey and the deputy each were taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries, but both are expected to make a full recovery. On Dec. 29, Ramsey was still being held in the Jefferson County Jail without bond.
The cases are still under investigation.
Ramsey has six prior felony convictions for drug possession and burglary. On Dec. 14, he was released from the Missouri Department of Corrections after completing a 120-day substance abuse treatment program and was ordered to serve five years’ supervised probation for first-degree burglary and possession of a controlled substance, court documents said.
The burglary conviction stemmed from an incident on Sept. 16, 2021, when Ramsey, along with 36-year-old Wayne Roam of House Springs, attempted to burglarize a mobile home in the 400 block of Sequoia Drive off Meyer Road. The homeowner, who confronted the masked men and was maced, fatally shot Roam, according to previous news reports.
Ramsey originally was charged in that incident with second-degree murder, first-degree burglary and third-degree assault, but as part of a plea agreement, the murder and assault charges were dismissed, court records show.