Scott Hamilton, the school board president of Canton Local, faces a felony theft charge in Massillon which prompted an arrest warrant that was issued Wednesday, according to court records.
Hamilton, 60, is accused of stealing 166 bales of pine shavings from Tractor Supply Co. in Massillon between trips dating back to January of 2022 to now. He is accused of stealing merchandise that totals $1,031, making the theft a felony charge.
It is believed that Hamilton would pay for bags of pine chips but would also take bags he did not purchase, according to Massillon City Law Director Justin Richards.
“The district is aware of the situation,” said Canton Local Superintendent Brett Yeagley. “Based on the information that we have received, the charge does not have anything to do with school business.”
He said the school district will have no further comments as the legal process plays out.
Hamilton’s attorney, Daniel Funk, said the whole situation is a misunderstanding. He said Hamilton would buy the pine chips for his mini-farm, and sometimes pay then load them into his vehicle and other times load them into his vehicle and then pay.
“I’m confident this will be cleared up in the next month,” Funk said.