Seneca County superintendent charged with felony

PERKINS TWP. — A leader of a Seneca County disability service center was arrested last month on a warrant for felony theft in Erie County. On March 19, deputies with the Erie County Sheriff's Office arrested Lewis L. Hurst, 60, of Republic, Ohio, and booked him into the Erie County Jail on one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony. Hurst is the superintendent of the Seneca County Opportunity Center, a facility under the county's board of developmental disabilities that provides education and services in Seneca County, according to its website. Shortly after Hurst's arrest, the Seneca County Board of Developmental Disabilities placed Hurst on paid administrative leave, and in a statement, the board described the leave as a "private personnel issue" that is "not otherwise related to Mr. Hurst's leadership," according to an article from the Advertiser-Tribune. The newspaper asked Opportunity Center board president Erin Simmons for comment on Hurst's criminal charge on Friday. Simmons provided the following statement: This issue is related to a personal situation with Mr. Hurst and does not involve any student, client or employee, nor is it related to the Seneca County Opportunity Center or any of its operations. The board is well aware of this situation and is respectfully allowing our judicial system to work and when a resolution has come from the court, our board will then take appropriate action. Our board is and has been committed to improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. We will continue to focus on the needs and priorities of our county. What allegedly occurred? The investigation into Hurst began on Feb. 5, after Perkins police responded to a local business. It followed a call from the store's general manager reporting a possible fraud incident that allegedly occurred on Jan. 24, according to a Perkins Township police report. Once an officer arrived at the store, he began speaking with the general manager, who explained that they had incorrect counts for a specific computer and that he was reviewing the sales for that computer. The report notes that a similar theft allegedly occurred at the business's Findlay location. However, the report doesn't explicitly state if a suspect has been identified or charged in that instance. The general manager further explained that, while reviewing the sales, the credit card information used for the purchase was registered to Hurst, the report states. The officer started examining the security footage from the day of the alleged theft. It showed the suspect approaching the computer on the shelf priced at $1,299, then bending down and placing a sticker for a less expensive computer valued at $499 on it. After about 15 minutes of looking at other computers and talking with employees, the suspect allegedly went to the checkout and placed the side of the box with the cheaper price sticker towards the employee to scan, then left the store and drove off in a dark grey Toyota truck, the report states. Upon reviewing the security footage, the officer returned to the station, searched the vehicle registration records and determined that the suspect seen in the footage was Hurst. On the day of Hurst's arrest, he appeared for an arraignment hearing in Sandusky Municipal Court in which he entered a plea of not guilty. As of Friday evening, Hurst is no longer listed in the Erie County Jail and has no upcoming court hearings scheduled, according to Sandusky Municipal Court records.