Two local elected officials are facing criminal charges in separate cases that are working their way through the court system.
Edenton Town Councilman Aaron Coston has been charged with two counts of felony obtaining property by false pretenses, according to court documents.
Tuesday, a grand jury indicted Coston on two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. According to the indictment, Coston allegedly impersonated a man named Kyrese Phelps to fraudulently secure a $6,000 loan from State Employees Credit Union, according to court documents.
Coston was arrested on Tuesday shortly before he attended the Town Council meeting. Coston has posted a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Chowan County Superior Court on Aug. 31, according to court records.
According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, the case was initiated in January of 2025. Coston was charged with two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense and a felony charge of identity theft.
The Town of Edenton released the following statement on May 27: “The Town of Edenton, its Mayor and Town Council have been informed that Councilman Aaron
Coston was charged with three felony offenses on May 26, 2026.
“These are serious offenses. With due respect for law enforcement and our judicial system,
Councilman Coston is entitled t o due process and the presumption of innocence.
“The citizens of Edenton rightly expect honesty and transparency. However, further comment
during the pendency of this matter would be inappropriate.
“The Town of Edenton will continue its work on behalf of the citizens we serve, and we ask the community t o be patient and allow the legal process t o proceed t o a conclusion.”
SBI says the case is ongoing, and no further information is available as of the time of publication.
Gates County Commissioner Brian Rountree has been charged with a misdemeanor count of communicating threats. Court documents allege that on April 28, Rountree called his uncle, Marvin Lassiter Sr., a punk and threatened to go to his Sunbury home to physically assault him. Rountree is scheduled to appear in Gates County District Court on June 1.
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