Charles Ramsey, Cleveland Kidnapping Hero, Has A Criminal Record For Domestic Violence [Report]

Cleveland, OH – The feel-good story of the week may have an underside.

Charles Ramsey, the Cleveland man who rescued kidnap victim Amanda Berry and her daughter, along with two other women, reportedly –and perhaps ironically — served time in jail for domestic violence.

The folksy, earthy Ramsey became an international viral star after his initial local media interview– and his epic 911 call — hit the internet following the rescue of Berry and the other women from a neighboring house. With his new-found and deserved fame, Ramsey is doing the circuit on national TV.

Ramsey, 43, has modestly said that he was merely coming to the aid of a woman in distress just like any other American would do.

Ramsey, however, reportedly was convicted three times for domestic violence against the woman in his life and wound up in jail for those offenses.

The victim of the domestic abuse was apparently his now ex-wife if these reports are accurate. In 1998, Ramsey was found guilty of domestic violence, and while waiting to be sentenced, he evidently was arrested again. Both charges as consolidated reportedly resulted in a six-month jail term and five years probation, according to The Smoking Gun website. In January 2003, he apparently was arrested again for domestic violence and served time in the Lorain, Ohio, Correctional Institution. He had been incarcerated in the same facility in the early 1990s for drug abuse and other minor crimes.

The ex-wife, who filed for divorce in 2003 while he was behind bars, has said that Ramsey subsequently apologized to her for his behavior but never paid child support for their now 15-year-old daughter. In her divorce paperwork at the time, Ramsey’s then-spouse set forth allegations of “gross neglect” and “extreme cruelty.”

Charles Ramsey’s cash-flow issues may be easing up, however. With all the free publicity he’s been giving McDonald’s, they may be offering him a job of some kind. A spokeswoman said the company and a local franchisee are planning to talk to Charles Ramsey, thanks to the interview name-dropping. It is quite likely that other unique opportunities will come his way as well.

Do you think Charles Ramsey’s rap sheet as a repeat offender in the past in any way alters or diminishes his current hero status?