Opportunity Center lead retires after guilty plea

TIFFIN — Lewis Hurst has retired as superintendent of the Seneca County Opportunity Center and is no longer an employee of the county Board of Developmental Disabilities, six days after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge that began this year as a felony, according to Sandusky Municipal Court records and the board's president. Hurst, 60, of Republic, announced his retirement during the board's meeting July 8, board President Erin Simmons confirmed. Natasha Nichols, the board's director of service and support administration, continues to serve as interim superintendent. "At the July 8, 2026 meeting, Lewis Hurst did announce his retirement and is no longer an employee with the Seneca County Board of Developmental Disabilities; however, the board is following all Ohio Revised Code pertaining to this situation," Simmons said in a written statement. Simmons said the board had received The Advertiser-Tribune's request for records on Hurst's departure and that the information was still being processed. She said the board would notify the newspaper when answers were available. She did not say whether the retirement was accepted by a vote or resolution, or whether it was negotiated or voluntary. Hurst pleaded guilty July 2 to one count of theft, a first-degree misdemeanor, reduced from the fifth-degree felony originally filed, according to court records. The court fined him $500 and suspended $250 of that amount, imposed $140 in court costs, and sentenced him to 30 days in jail, which it suspended in full on the condition of one year of good behavior, records show. Hurst was also ordered to pay $857.99 in restitution within 60 days, along with a 5% restitution fee and a $50 probation supervision fee, according to court records. The court issued a check for the restitution amount to Best Buy, records show. The charge stemmed from a Jan. 24 incident at a Best Buy in Perkins Township. According to a Perkins Township Police Department investigation report, a store manager reported inventory discrepancies on a specific computer model, and the store identified a credit card transaction tied to Hurst. 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 and buying it at the lower price, the report states. Investigators used license plate camera data and a Bureau of Motor Vehicles photo to identify Hurst, according to the report. A warrant was issued Feb. 9, and the Erie County Sheriff's Office served Hurst March 19, court records show. Tamara Hurst posted a $5,000 bond the same day. Of that amount, $1,886 was applied to Hurst's fine, court costs, restitution and related fees, and the remaining $3,114 was refunded, according to court records. The board placed Hurst on paid administrative leave following a special meeting March 28, describing the action at the time as a private personnel issue not otherwise related to his leadership, and named Nichols interim superintendent. Hurst remained on paid leave until his retirement. The Advertiser-Tribune has requested records showing his total compensation, including salary and any accrued-leave payout, from March 28 through the effective date of his retirement. Simmons said that information was still being processed. Hurst continued to appear publicly as superintendent after the case was filed. On March 10, more than a month after the warrant was issued, he told the Seneca County Commissioners the district was in good financial shape, according to previous reporting. Henry said he would speak with Hurst and respond to the Advertiser-Tribune, but had not done so by a 5 p.m. Thursday deadline. Hurst did not respond directly to a request for comment on his guilty plea and retirement. The Seneca County Opportunity Center, which operates under the county Board of Developmental Disabilities, provides services and support for people with developmental disabilities and is funded in part by local taxpayers.