By Nicole Bowman-Layton

Edenton Town Council formally censured Councilman Aaron Coston on Tuesday, Nov. 10, following criminal charges against him, taking the strongest disciplinary action members said they could impose after Coston refused their request to resign.

The resolution expresses the council’s official disapproval and removes Coston from boards, committees and commissions on which he represents the town. It also restricts discretionary privileges, including travel allowances and representing the town at public events, for the remainder of his term.

A copy of Town Manager Corey Gooden’s note and the resolution appear at the bottom of the article.

Coston remains an elected council member. The censure does not remove him from office or prevent him from attending meetings and voting.

We will add more information as it becomes available.

The decision followed a lengthy discussion in which council members said the charges had damaged public trust. Coston maintained that his legal troubles would not prevent him from serving Edenton residents.

Residents offer opposing views

Before the council took up the censure discussion, two residents offered sharply different perspectives during public comment.

Amber Hardy, an Edenton business owner and real estate agent, told council members she had personal experience dealing with Coston.

Hardy said Coston approached her in 2022 about representing him in the sale of property that he did not own. She said he was acting on behalf of his grandmother through a power of attorney that Hardy believed was invalid.

Her statements were allegations made during public comment, not findings established by the council.

“If I hadn’t gone with my gut instinct, I wouldn’t be standing here today as the woman in front of you that is a business owner and a successful realtor in this town,” Hardy said.

She said the situation could have cost her livelihood and real estate license.

Hardy then addressed Coston directly.

“So I’m asking you, Aaron Coston, please resign from this council,” she said.

“It is not a good look for our town, and he does not represent me as a citizen.”

Leslee Casbarro, who spoke immediately afterward, offered a different view.

Casbarro said she had practiced criminal defense law for 37 years and believed it was wrong to take action against someone solely because of criminal accusations.

“Having been a criminal defense attorney for 37 years, I think taking action on anyone who is accused is absolutely inappropriate,” she said.

“There are accusations; they have not been proven. He has not had his day in court.”

Two criminal cases remain pending

Coston faces felony charges in two counties.

In Pitt County, he faces a felony extortion charge involving allegations that he threatened to disclose information about a man’s online adult-content account to his employer unless the man paid $5,000 and signed a nondisclosure agreement.

In Chowan County, Coston faces two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and one felony count of identity theft. According to the State Bureau of Investigation, the charges stem from allegations that he used another person’s identifying and banking information to obtain two loans totaling $12,000 from State Employees’ Credit Union.

Both cases remain pending, with no reported changes in their status since the Albemarle Observer previously covered the charges.

Coston is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Coston defends his record

When the council reached the censure discussion later in the meeting, Councilman Patrick Sellers suggested giving Coston an opportunity to speak before other members commented.

Coston remained composed as he addressed his colleagues. Sitting somewhat slouched in his chair, he delivered his remarks calmly.

He thanked the residents, business owners, friends and family members who had offered support and encouragement.

He declined to discuss the details of his criminal cases but defended his record in office.

Coston said he had completed his first term and was serving the first year of his second term. He pointed to work involving neighborhood parks, youth programs, education funding and policies affecting low-income residents.

He emphasized that his responsibilities extended beyond downtown businesses and tourism to residents throughout Edenton.

“I understand that the situation that I am in right now doesn’t reflect well on council. It doesn’t reflect well on the town,” Coston said.

“And for that, I apologize to my constituents.”

But he disputed any suggestion that the charges defined his character or prevented him from carrying out his responsibilities.

“It’s definitely not a depiction of my character at all,” he said.

Coston said he remained committed to serving residents and could separate his personal problems from his work on the council.

“What I’m going through right now does not interfere with my ability to govern and make a decision for this town,” he said.

Council members cite loss of trust

Councilman Craig Miller was the first to respond directly to Coston.

“I think your actions have put a blemish — has blemished this entire council,” Miller said. “I think you should resign.”

Miller acknowledged that Coston had not been convicted.

Sellers then explained why he and Mayor W. Hackney High Jr. had previously approached Coston about resigning.

Sellers, who is also an attorney, said he strongly believes in the presumption of innocence. However, he said the seriousness of the charges raised concerns about Coston’s ability to maintain the trust of fellow council members and the public.

“When you’re charged with multiple felonies in multiple jurisdictions, and one of those felonies being indicted by a grand jury here and investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation, it causes great concern,” Sellers said.

“And that concern goes to trust.”

Sellers said the council’s ability to govern depended on residents believing in their elected representatives.

“With that lack of trust, we cannot govern,” he said.

He encouraged Coston to resign and focus on defending himself against the criminal charges.

Sellers also said that if Coston successfully resolved the cases in his favor, he believed the community could welcome him back to public service.

Councilman Bob Turner agreed that Coston should focus on his legal cases.

“I hate that we’ve had to get to this point,” Turner said.

Councilman Elton Bond offered Coston his best wishes.

“I just wish him the best of luck in his cases and hope everything goes well for you,” Bond said.

Council adopts formal censure

High said council members had discussed Coston’s situation privately after learning about the charges and had agreed to ask him to resign.

That request was delivered during a conversation involving High, Sellers and Coston.

Coston declined.

High explained that the council could request a resignation but did not have the statutory authority to force an elected member from office.

“We can only, as the statutes call for, we can only request that,” High said. “We can’t force him to do anything.”

Sellers then moved to censure Coston.

Town Manager Corey Gooden read a formal resolution into the record, stating that the council was aware of Coston’s recent arrest on criminal charges involving extortion and that it was the second time he had faced criminal charges within the past year.

The resolution acknowledged that Coston is presumed innocent under the law but stated that the charges undermined public confidence and the council’s effectiveness.

It formally censured Coston and imposed restrictions on his participation in outside committees and other activities representing the town.

The resolution also barred him from using discretionary privileges, including travel allowances and official representation at public events, for the remainder of his term.

Turner seconded Sellers’ motion, and the council approved the resolution.

In a related move, Miller sought an additional penalty, proposing that Coston forfeit his monthly council stipend until the criminal cases were resolved in his favor.

High said the council lacked legal authority to withhold the payment, which is about $600 a month after taxes.

Miller nevertheless made a separate motion to suspend Coston’s monthly compensation until he was found not guilty, at which point the withheld money would be returned.

No council member seconded the motion.

High declared it failed for lack of a second.

As a result, the censure does not affect Coston’s council compensation.

Mayor urges council to move forward

Following the vote, High addressed the council and the public, acknowledging the difficulty of the discussion while emphasizing that Coston retains his elected position.

“Councilman Coston has chosen not to resign, as is his right,” High said.

He urged council members to set aside their personal disagreements and continue working together.

High said Coston must also accept that his fellow council members had asked him to resign and continue fulfilling his responsibilities despite that disagreement.

“I’m firm in my belief that not only will we be judged by how we handled tonight, but more importantly, how we move forward from tonight,” High said.

The mayor reminded council members that the town still faces decisions involving streets, parks, budgets, infrastructure, public safety and economic development.

“This is not a time for us to spend our time focused on disagreements that we have among ourselves,” High said.

He closed by urging the council to maintain professionalism and mutual respect.

“Our citizens deserve nothing less than this, and it’s our time to lead,” High said.

Later in the meeting, Coston unplugged his microphone and carefully wrapped its cord around the battery case. After speaking briefly away from the microphone, he left with family members without stopping for questions.

Despite the formal reprimand and his colleagues’ requests for his resignation, Coston retains his seat on the council while the criminal cases proceed through the courts.