Minors told police campaign treasurer offered them $50 for 50 of opponent's signs
The campaign treasurer for Craig Russell denied he had any involvement in the incident in an interview with detectives detailed in newly released records
May 11, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Newly released police records provide more details of the allegations that teenagers were offered money to steal campaign signs, leading to three misdemeanor charges against Christopher Hoats, campaign treasurer for Commissioner Craig Russell.
Four minors interviewed separately by Winter Park Police provided consistent accounts of what happened, police said. Two of the boys identified Hoats from a photo line-up and said he was the person who approached them on March 21 as they were skateboarding outside Floyd’s Barbershop in Maitland. The boys said Hoats offered to pay them $50 to steal 50 of Jason Johnson’s campaign signs, according to the document.
The incident occurred as Johnson and Russell were two days into a heated runoff contest for Seat 2 on the City Commission.
Three misdemeanor charges against Hoats — two counts of contributing to the dependency or delinquency of a minor and one count of petit theft — were made public for the first time last week after Hoats was issued a summons to appear in the case.
Hoats did not respond to messages seeking comment from the Voice. Russell, who did not respond to messages seeking comment, released a statement to the Orlando Sentinel last week that said he is “deeply concerned” about the allegations and noted that his campaign has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
One of the boys, who was interviewed by police at his school on March 29, told the detectives that the man said he “was going to pay me to steal signs in Winter Park,” according to a capias request, which details probable cause in the case for the State Attorney.
“The man told us to steal these signs that had Jason Johnson on the signs,” the boy said. ” It was for a city election if I’m not mistaken. He told us the other candidate was stealing his signs so he ran out from the barbershop and asked if we were willing to steal signs for some cash.”
Two boys identified Hoats from a photo lineup, according to the document.
They also told police the man gave them his Instagram account and showed the account to police.
On April 2, police also obtained video footage from the barbershop and observed Hoats at the business on March 21 and also verified with employees that he had a haircut scheduled for that day.
The report goes on to say that detectives went to Winter Park High School, where Hoats helps coach football, in an attempt to talk with Hoats, but learned he is not a teacher and was not at the school.
Police then arranged to meet Hoats at the police department on the afternoon of April 2.
According to the report, Hoats told police he coaches high school football and did not recall any juveniles who were skateboarding. Later he said he recalled speaking with kids outside the barbershop and “immediately stated that he spoke to the juveniles about a local city election.”
He asked the kids who they were voting for and who their parents are voting for, the report stated.
“He stated they were younger; and that it was a ‘harmless conversation,” according to the report, and asked police if the kids were “stealing campaign yard signs.” Police noted that they had not mentioned “campaign signs” to Hoats, only “signs.”
Police asked Hoats why he would want to follow someone he did not know on Instagram after he noted one of the boys sent him his Instagram profile.
“Yeah to tell them who to vote for, who not to vote for, this is who we’re going up against, this is our competition,” Hoats responded, according to the report.
Hoats told police he did not encourage the kids to steal signs and was not a “kingpin” and “that no one asked him to have the signs stolen, he only informed the juveniles not to vote for Jason Johnson and to vote for Craig Russell.”
“Here’s the good guys, here’s the bad guys,” Hoats said, according to the report, and denied offering the kids $1 for every sign they stole.
The report goes on to describe how police arrived at Winter Park High School on April 8, eight days before the runoff election, in an attempt to talk with the candidate, Russell. The school resource officer took police to the gym and football coach’s office, but they learned Russell was not there.
Police later arranged to speak with Russell at his house and he told them that he contacted Hoats to tell him police had been at the school looking to speak with him.
Russell told police that “when he began the campaign he had little knowledge about the political makeup of the city and how involved people were, or the extent people would go to to make things up,” according to the report.
Russell also told police that he gave his campaign volunteers rules and told them not to touch the signs of his opponent.
“Mr. Russell further stated he did not have time to conspire to get kids to take signs,” the report stated.
Russell told police that Hoats served as his campaign treasurer but had asked Hoats to step away during the runoff portion of the campaign because Hoats had become too busy.
“Craig Russell repeatedly stated there was no way Christopher Hoats would have sent the juveniles to take the signs, and believed his opponent’s supporters were involved with this incident,” the report stated. “… He found it suspicious this occured after he won the general election.”
Russell won the April 16 election by 34 votes and was sworn in on April 24.
Winter Park Police concluded there was enough evidence to turn the case over to the state attorney, though the date that occured is unclear from the records.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
Absolutely unbelievable. The audacity of Craig Russell to blame Jason Johnson for this. That is beyond the pale.
Four teens say the exact same thing to the police — in separate rooms. But Hoats and Russell claim it never happened. Two mistakes — doing the crime and now the cover-up. And these unethical guys are coaching our youth???
Someone help me out here. How likely would it be for Mr. Hoats to have a random conversation with random kids at a barber shop about who they (or their parents) should vote for and then one hour later the four kids are stealing Jason Johnson signs? In order for this to be a set up as Mr. Russell alleges, the kids would need to steal the signs before talking to Mr. Hoats at the barber shop, and then find him at the barber shop and talk to him about candidates! But for the sake of our city, what we need to know is if Mr. Russell had any knowledge about this and I will give him the benefit of the doubt based on his statements. But why he cancelled his Friday interview with Beth is very concerning. Beth is not a scary person!
Sign stealing is a Winter Park campaign tradition, as are slander and anonymous campaign mailers. Paying someone to steal signs is at best bad form but not out of scale with the classless behavior I have seen in the past.
Pete Weldon, Because minors not old enough to drive were involved a summons was issued for an alleged crime. Not classless behavior – a crime. The alleged coach/perpetrator works with teenagers. If he’s offering them money to steal and you don’t see a problem. Well, that’s a problem.
Where do I say I don’t see a problem?
Agreed! The fact that Craig Russell is defending the behavior and pointing fingers without evidence is also concerning. Makes one pause and think…were 34 votes too close to decide this and where did the extra votes come from? Money behind the votes too?
Well said Beth. Well said.
You’ll never get elected in Winter Park again with that attitude. Doesn’t matter if it happens all the time, it’s illegal and you apparently support illegal behavior.
Yeah kids randomly steal signs all the time. Russell should resign. Feigning ignorance
This is a point to reflect on how many “pick me” signs are enough
Think there were 100 at my polling station one would have been enough .
What happens to those sign after the election ???
City recycles with drop off boxes at fire station
Making excuses to excuse criminal behavior in the name of politics seems to be commonplace these days among those who also support politicians accused of criminal behavior.
And he has not voted, when he has passed the voting booth on election day. His campaign must be held accountable and investigated. The State Atty is now investigating. Perhaps his employer and the Commission should also take action. This is not acceptable for either our ” charming” community nor an example for the children. Perhaps Mr. Reeves and Mr Johnson be reimbursed for their loss! A coach is always held responsible for his/her team
I agree wholeheartedly
The fights are most vicious when the stakes are low.
Russell owes the supporters of Johnson an apology for his baseless claim without any evidence, that they somehow had something to do with this sign gate. When he should be building community cohesion he chooses to increase community division. Let’s see if he can be a leader and do the right thing and prevent further chaos within in our city.
I often talk to underage teens to inform them who to vote for (when they aren’t even eligible to vote yet). Underage teens ironically vote about as often in WP city elections as Craig Russell. Also, we all know Parents regularly rely on their teens for voting guidance, so this makes total sense to me.
What doesn’t make sense is …..how someone thought anyone would buy this story.
excellent observation “ Underage teens ironically vote about as often in WP city elections as Craig Russell”
Funny
Holy Cow! Pete Weldon is merely pointing out that some folk’s campaign conduct in past WP elections would not qualify as genteel or gracious or legal. Let’s all get over ourselves!
Making excuses to excuse criminal behavior in the name of politics seems to be commonplace these days among those who also support politicians accused of criminal behavior
Thank you Beth. I personally do not care if this is behavior that has been expected or condoned in previous elections. It has no place in a fair democratic election. It is intolerable.
Wow! A 1 hour “crime spree” by 2 teenagers taking a couple of campaign signs out of a yard in broad daylight warrants calling the cops? Seriously?
I have read the document linked as the “capias request” in the story, and invite all Winter Park residents to click the link and read the same.
Coach said he wanted to keep the campaign about himself, while I recognize that campaigns are choices between two candidates, so I highlighted differences in our positions and actions. His advisors’ strategy of turning this election into a simple popularity contest worked.
When I learned of the identity of the alleged perpetrator of the pay-for-theft sign scheme—Coach’s right-hand man and fellow Winter Park High School football coach—I questioned Coach’s judgment in putting someone like this in charge of his campaign’s money.
Since Coach has decided to try to shift the blame for these actions to my supporters, though, I am now openly questioning his integrity.
To the Winter Park Police Department, Office of the State Attorney and any other law enforcement agency investigating these alleged crimes, I hereby offer to provide your investigators access to any and all of my campaign and personal emails, and all text messages sent to, or received by, my phone. I suspect that my supporters who Coach would like to openly accuse of being involved in the pay-for-theft sign scheme would happily do the same.
Will Coach and those close to him similarly open their emails and text messages to law enforcement investigators?
Those investigators certainly will not find any evidence in my communications whatsoever that me or any of my supporters were involved in this scheme, and the only deleted texts that will be found on my phone are verification codes sent for Two Factor Authentication purposes. What deleted texts might be recovered from Coach’s and Mr. Hoats’—or someone else’s—phones?
I kept what I knew quiet before the runoff—you’re welcome, Coach. Coach got 34 more votes out of the almost 6,000 votes cast, so he occupies the chair. The voters of Winter Park made their choice. Congratulations to Commissioner Russell.
I can lose the election with dignity and grace. What I absolutely refuse to do is stand idly by while Coach impugns the good people who supported me in his feeble and patently obvious false attempt to deflect attention from his own campaign and its tactics.
You are barking up the wrong tree, Coach, and you owe my supporters an open and public apology.
I am guessing that if this sign stealing event came out right after it occurred, you would be our commissioner. It will be helpful to see what happens at the June 7th hearing. But, the big question now is whether the coach should resign for his multiple failures to address this case and to cast blame on several thousand Winter Park residents. He needs to either offer an apology or resign. It is as simple as that.
I will acknowledge this is not a good look for Coach Russell and I voted for him! I want to believe Coach had nothing to do with this, but even so, his response concerning the situation isn’t a good look either. He needs to come forth with some type of public comment reiterating his stance that he was not involved, he doesn’t condone this type of behavior from friend or foe and he apologizes for insinuating that Jason Johnson’s supporters were involved in this in some way.