WAGRAM — The Hamlet city manager has filed criminal charges in Scotland County against one of his most vocal critics.
Court documents show that Terry John Terziu took out an arrest warrant on Jan. 15, charging Hamlet resident Sean Patrick Smith with misdemeanor counts of both stalking and cyberstalking.
Smith allegedly went into Terziu’s Wagram neighborhood on Dec. 13, 2025 and placed "harassing signs” on a private road. The messages on the alleged signs are not detailed in the warrant.
“The defendant knew and should have known that the harassment would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person's safety or the safety of the person's immediate family, close personal associates, suffer substantial emotional distress by placing that person in fear of continued harassment,” reads the text in the harassment charge.
Terziu is also accusing Smith of using Facebook Messenger to harass and intimidate him.
Court records show the warrant was served on Jan. 29 and Smith was given a $1,500 unsecured bond. He is scheduled to appear in Scotland County District Court Feb. 25.
The release order prohibits Smith from having contact with Terziu.
Records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show Smith was convicted in 2020 of driving while impaired in Moore County.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Smith is one of five defendants in a civil suit filed by Terziu. He is accused of defamation, slander and libel for “false statements” allegedly made on social media.
Court records show the original summons for Smith in that case was returned unserved on Jan. 13 and a new summons was issued Jan. 20.
Smith has been critical of Terziu and several council members during the public comment sections of Hamlet's City Council meetings over the past several months.
During the December meeting, Smith was shut down by City Attorney T.C. Morphis for bringing up Terziu's son, Chase Terziu, who is accused of stabbing his father in January 2025.
Switching gears, Smith called on council members to fire Terziu.
"You can vote right now," Smith said. "The citizens can see which councilmen wants to end this nightmare and which wants to perpetuate it."
"You're the only nightmare here," Terziu replied, while he recorded Smith's comments with his phone.
