TIFFIN, Ohio — The superintendent of the Seneca County Opportunity Center has been placed on paid administrative leave and faces a felony theft charge after Perkins Township police say he switched price stickers at a Sandusky-area retail store to underpay for a $1,299 computer, TiffinOhio.net has learned.

The Seneca County Board of Developmental Disabilities placed Superintendent Lewis Hurst, 60, of Republic, on paid administrative leave following a special meeting Saturday, March 28, according to a statement reported by the Advertiser-Tribune. The board described the action as a “private personnel issue” that is “not otherwise related to Mr. Hurst’s leadership” and declined to elaborate. Natasha Nichols, Director of Service and Support Administration, has been named interim superintendent.

Hurst faces one count of theft under Ohio Revised Code 2913.02, a fifth-degree felony, according to court records and a Perkins Township Police Department investigation report obtained by TiffinOhio.net. The alleged offense occurred January 24, 2026.

According to the police report, a store manager reported discrepancies in inventory counts on a specific computer model. The store’s system identified a credit card transaction for the same computer at the Sandusky location and provided police with the cardholder’s name and address, identifying Lewis Hurst of 3510 N. County Road 43, Republic.

Surveillance footage reviewed by Perkins Township Police Officer Michael Todhunter showed a white male entering the store and, at 1:55 p.m., bending down to place a price sticker from a $499 computer onto the box of a $1,299 HP Omen R5 8500F computer. The male then spent approximately 15 minutes browsing the store and speaking with employees before selecting the computer and walking it to the register at 2:11 p.m. According to the report, the cashier scanned the fraudulent barcode — positioned facing the cashier — and the man paid and exited at 2:13 p.m.

At 2:14 p.m., the man loaded the computer into the rear seat of a dark grey Toyota truck with a black bed cover and black rims and left the property.

Officer Todhunter wrote that he used OHLEG Smart Search to confirm Lewis L. Hurst lives at the address provided by the store, and that Hurst has a 2023 grey Toyota truck registered to him. Flock license plate camera data confirmed that vehicle and plate number entering mall property near a McDonald’s entrance at 1:24 p.m. — approximately 30 minutes before the sticker swap was captured on surveillance footage. The officer also used a Bureau of Motor Vehicles photo to identify Hurst as the suspect in the footage.

A warrant was issued and the case filed with the court February 9, 2026. On March 10 — more than a month after the case was filed — Hurst appeared before the Seneca County Commissioners in his capacity as superintendent, telling commissioners the district was in “good financial shape,” according to the Advertiser-Tribune. The Erie County Sheriff’s Office served Hurst on the warrant on March 19, 2026, and he posted a $5,000 bond the same day. Attorney Dean Henry entered an appearance March 20, 2026, and filed a not guilty plea on Hurst’s behalf March 23, 2026. A plea hearing scheduled for March 26 was cancelled and is to be reset with counsel.

A fifth-degree felony in Ohio carries a potential sentence of six to twelve months in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.

The board has not stated whether the leave is connected to the criminal charge. TiffinOhio.net contacted the Seneca County Opportunity Center and Hurst’s attorney, Dean Henry, for comment prior to publication. Neither responded by deadline.

The theft case is pending in Sandusky Municipal Court. TiffinOhio.net will continue to follow proceedings as they develop.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct Mr. Hurst’s age. He is 60 years old.