The superintendent of the Seneca County Opportunity Center pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor theft charge, resolving a case that began five months earlier as a felony after Perkins Township police said he switched price stickers to underpay for a computer at a Sandusky-area store.
Lewis Hurst, 60, of Republic, pleaded guilty to one count of theft as a first-degree misdemeanor, reduced from the fifth-degree felony originally filed, according to Sandusky Municipal Court records.
The court sentenced Hurst to 30 days in jail and suspended the entire term. It imposed a $500 fine, suspended $250 of it, and assessed $140 in court costs. Hurst was also ordered to pay $857.99 in restitution; court records show a check for that amount was issued to Best Buy. The remaining balance is due within 60 days under the terms of the disposition.
Hurst posted a $5,000 bond after his arrest. Court records show a portion of that bond was applied to his fines, costs and restitution, with the remainder refunded.
The charge stemmed from a January 24 incident. According to a Perkins Township Police Department investigation report obtained by TiffinOhio.net, a store manager reported inventory discrepancies on a specific computer model, and the store identified a credit card transaction tied to Hurst. Perkins Township Police Officer Michael Todhunter wrote that surveillance footage showed a man placing a price sticker from a $499 computer onto the box of a $1,299 HP Omen R5 8500F computer before buying it at the lower price. Investigators used license-plate camera data and a Bureau of Motor Vehicles photo to identify Hurst, the report states.
A warrant was issued February 9, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office served Hurst on March 19, when he posted bond. Attorney Dean Henry entered an appearance and filed a not-guilty plea on Hurst’s behalf in March. The case was continued several times before the July 2 hearing, at which Hurst changed his plea.
The Seneca County Board of Developmental Disabilities placed Hurst on paid administrative leave following a special meeting Saturday, March 28. The board described the action as a “private personnel issue” that is “not otherwise related to Mr. Hurst’s leadership,” according to a statement reported by the Advertiser-Tribune, and named Natasha Nichols, its director of service and support administration, interim superintendent. In late April, the board confirmed to WTOL 11 that Hurst remained on paid leave.
Hurst continued to appear publicly as superintendent after the case was filed. On March 10 — more than a month after the warrant issued — he told the Seneca County Commissioners the district was in “good financial shape,” according to the Advertiser-Tribune.
The Seneca County Opportunity Center, which operates under the county Board of Developmental Disabilities, provides services and supports for people with developmental disabilities and is funded in part by local taxpayers.
