Edenton Town Councilman Aaron Dashaun Coston says he has no intention of resigning his seat when the Town Council meets Tuesday evening to discuss his conduct and consider possible censure.
Coston, who represents the Third Ward, did not attend the council's September 27 meeting. His future on the council is expected to be a subject of discussion at Tuesday's meeting, when he will have an opportunity to resign voluntarily.
However, in a telephone interview Sunday evening, Coston made clear that resignation is not part of his plans.
Asked about the possibility of diminished authority if the council approves a censure motion, Coston dismissed the suggestion that such action would affect his position.
"It's a public scathing, that's all it is. I don't lose any power on the council," Coston said.
His comments come against the backdrop of two felony arrests in five months and a court history extending back more than a decade.
Two Felony Arrests in Five Months
Coston was arrested May 26 following indictments returned by a Chowan County grand jury charging him with two felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and one felony count of identity theft.
According to the charging documents, Coston allegedly used another individual's identifying and banking information to obtain two loans totaling $12,000 from State Employees' Credit Union.
The alleged offenses occurred between November 2023 and March 2024. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation began examining the matter in January 2025.
Five months later, Coston faced another felony charge, this time in Pitt County.
On October 23, he was arrested on an extortion warrant stemming from an investigation by the Greenville Police Department.
The warrant alleges that Coston demanded $5,000 and a signed nondisclosure agreement from another man while threatening to disclose private information and intimate photographs to the man's employer.
The alleged incident occurred October 8, and the warrant was issued October 16.
Coston was released on a $25,000 secured bond. Court records identify an October 26 first-appearance hearing in Pitt County District Court.
Coston reportedly waived his preliminary hearing, allowing the prosecution to proceed without that hearing.
Coston is presumed innocent of all criminal charges unless and until proven guilty in court. Neither an arrest nor an indictment establishes guilt. The records reviewed do not establish convictions in either felony prosecution.
Court History Extends Back to 2012
An examination of North Carolina's judicial hearing records under Coston's name reveals a history of criminal and traffic-related proceedings dating to 2012.
The database returned 22 hearing entries spanning 2012 through 2026, although several entries concern repeated appearances in the same cases and others involve civil matters excluded from this review.
The records include criminal proceedings in 2012, 2015 and 2022, along with traffic infractions in 2012, 2017, 2018, 2023 and subsequent years.
The hearing listings do not establish the outcome of every case, nor should multiple appearances be interpreted as separate convictions.
One Martin County traffic proceeding, however, provides a detailed account of Coston's financial circumstances as reported to the court and his subsequent failure to document completion of court-ordered community service.
$550 Monthly Income Reported to Court
In Martin County case 23IF702222-570, a speeding citation against Coston was reduced to an improper-equipment infraction involving a speedometer.
A separate charge involving failure to secure a passenger younger than 16 was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
On May 5, 2025, Coston filed a Request for Relief from Fines, Fees and Other Monetary Obligations, known as Form AOC-CR-415.
The form allows individuals to request relief from financial obligations based on their ability to pay.
In his signed disclosure, Coston identified the Town of Edenton as his employer and reported monthly employment income of $550.
He listed $100 in cash and bank accounts, no real-property assets and monthly housing expenses of $350. He also reported receiving SNAP food assistance.
Coston explained that a medical illness had prevented him from returning to full-time employment.
District Court Judge Keith B. Mason granted conditional relief, ordering Coston to perform eight hours of community service within 90 days and provide documentation to the clerk's office.
Successful completion would allow the fines and court costs to be waived.
However, when the case returned to court on August 6, 2025, Coston failed to appear and provide proof that he had completed the required service, according to the court's written order.
District Court Judge Darrell B. Cayton Jr. subsequently denied his request for financial relief.
The order documents Coston's failure to demonstrate compliance by the deadline. It does not establish whether he later completed the service or paid the outstanding obligations.
Financial Hardship Cited Again
Coston sought financial relief from the courts again in July 2026, this time in connection with a civil lawsuit against Michels & Gauquie, P.A., a Greenville dental practice.
Coston began receiving orthodontic treatment at the practice in November 2023.
On July 14, 2026, he filed a small-claims lawsuit seeking $5,552, alleging that the practice had agreed to refund money for dental services but had failed to pay.
Three days later, he amended his complaint, increasing the amount sought to $7,200.
At the time of the original filing, Coston also submitted a petition to proceed as an indigent, declaring under penalty of perjury that he could not afford the required court costs.
The clerk approved the request.
Unlike his May 2025 financial disclosure, the July 2026 petition did not specify monthly employment income.
Dental Practice Files Counterclaims
The dental practice disputed Coston's allegations and presented a different account of the disagreement.
In an August 7 filing, Michels & Gauquie maintained that Coston had previously agreed to accept $1,000 and removal of his orthodontic brackets as a resolution of his complaints.According to the practice, it issued the payment in May 2026, and Coston cashed the check later that month.
The practice contended that the agreement settled the dispute and that Coston was not entitled to additional reimbursement.
Its attorneys filed counterclaims alleging fraud and breach of contract, requesting up to $15,000 in compensatory damages, up to $9,000 in punitive damages and attorney's fees.
These allegations are civil claims made by the dental practice. They do not establish that Coston committed fraud or breached a contract.
On August 10, a Pitt County magistrate granted the practice's motion to dismiss Coston's lawsuit.
The dismissal was entered without prejudice, meaning the ruling did not necessarily prevent further litigation. The order did not establish a $10,000 judgment against Coston.
Second Lawsuit Remains Before Court
The dispute continued.
On August 12, another civil case involving Coston and Michels & Gauquie, P.A., was filed in Pitt County District Court.
On November 3, Coston submitted a motion seeking to postpone a scheduled hearing. He stated that he had not been informed of the rescheduled court date and had a medical procedure scheduled that afternoon.
He requested a new hearing date of November 19.
The available motion does not establish whether the continuance was granted or how the second lawsuit will be resolved.
Council Faces Decision Tuesday
The legal proceedings involving Coston range from traffic infractions and financial-relief requests to civil litigation and two serious felony prosecutions.
These matters are legally distinct. Traffic infractions are not felony convictions, civil allegations do not establish criminal wrongdoing, and Coston retains the presumption of innocence in the pending criminal cases.
The earlier Martin County judicial orders do, however, document a community-service requirement for which Coston failed to provide proof of completion by the court's deadline.
The records also establish that Coston sought relief from financial obligations in separate proceedings in 2025 and 2026.
Tuesday's council meeting brings the discussion from the courtroom to Edenton's governing body.
Council members are expected to consider whether to formally censure Coston, while the councilman has made clear that he does not intend to step aside voluntarily.
Whether the council takes disciplinary action, and what practical consequences any adopted resolution may carry, will depend on the action taken Tuesday evening.
For now, Coston's position is clear. He intends to remain on the Town Council while the criminal charges and civil proceedings follow their separate paths through the judicial system.
