Columbiana County Common Pleas

New cases

Hanna Johnson, South Union Avenue, Salem, vs. Bruce Behner III, West South Range Road, Salem; divorce sought.

Wells Fargo Bank, Fort Mill, S.C., vs. Jennifer Pruden, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Planet Home Lending, LLC, Meriden, Conn., vs. Isaiah Ayers, Chester Avenue, Wellsville, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Docket entries

Discover Bank vs. Erika Timmons; $5,405 judgment granted to plaintiff.

NewRez LLC doing business as Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing vs. Nicole Brownlee, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for East Palestine property.

Ronda Sutak vs. William Sutak; divorce granted.

Richard Whitfield vs. Emily Whitfield; dissolution granted.

Credit Acceptance Corporation vs. Charles Beverly and Ginger Matson; $16,583 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Columbiana County Municipal Court

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a case against Chase Murphy, 29, state Route 39, Wellsville, was bound over to the county grand jury on a third-degree felony charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

An affidavit by Leetonia Police Chief Allen Haueter said Murphy allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old girl on several occasions during the month of October in a tree house in Leetonia during late night hours.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Nov. 22 for Steven Watters, 44, East Grant Street, East Palestine, who’s facing multiple charges after allegedly fleeing a traffic stop during a drug transaction Saturday in East Palestine.

Charges against Watters include tampering with evidence and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, both third-degree felonies, and misdemeanors of obstructing official business, drug paraphernalia, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, second offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years, driving under suspension and use of unauthorized plate. Bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety.

East Palestine police attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Watters with one person as a passenger, but he fled and allegedly threw suspected drugs out of the window on East Taggart Street, crossing over North Market Street while his passenger was attempting to exit the vehicle. Watters then stopped on West Taggart Street and had a cut straw used for ingesting narcotics and a crack cocaine pipe in his possession. He allegedly told an officer initially that he ate the suspected methamphetamine, which was recovered along the road. A hypodermic needle was recovered from the passenger floor of the vehicle.

A pretrial was set Jan. 30 for Jordan Mountain, 32, North Jackson, who was Watters’ passenger and was charged with possession of a drug abuse instrument for alleged possession of the hypodermic needle.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Nov. 21 for Travis Mayle, 33, Canton, charged with failure to comply-fleeing and tampering with evidence, both third-degree felonies, and misdemeanors of resisting arrest and OVI. Mayle allegedly fled from a traffic stop on Nov. 13 on state Route 164 and state Route 14 in Columbiana, driving off after being asked to get out of the vehicle. He continued for 30 minutes and was stopped via a rolling roadblock on U.S. Route 30, refused to get out of the vehicle and then finally got out after allegedly swallowing some pills and was taken into custody. Bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety.

A case against Jeremy Barrett, 43, Polk, Pa., was bound over to the county grand jury on charges of third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution. Barrett allegedly solicited sexual activity in exchange for money from an undercover agent advertising an adult female and a 15-year-old girl on a known prostitution website, with Barrett arriving Nov. 5 in East Palestine for the meeting.

A pretrial was set Jan. 30 for John Paul Peuterbaugh, 48, Lisa Lane, Lisbon, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly arranging for sexual activity in exchange for $80 through an undercover ad placed by a Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force agent, arriving in Salem on Nov. 11 for the meeting.

Benjamin Sluder, 45, Jupiter Drive, Wellsville, was fined $350 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for one day served, leaving one day still to serve in jail, for two counts disorderly conduct, amended from engaging in prostitution and resisting arrest, and obstructing official business and possessing criminal tools. Sluder responded to an undercover ad placed by a Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force agent and arranged for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $80. He parked the Tri-State Cab he was driving near the meeting location in East Palestine on July 20 and walked on foot to the designated spot, walking away and resisting when officers were taking him into custody. He also refused to provide his name to police and had the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Justin McGhee, 34, East Pine Lake Road, Salem, was fined $500 for disorderly conduct, amended from engaging in prostitution, and possessing criminal tools. He was permitted to buy out 60 hours community service and ordered to complete an online preventing prostitution course. McGhee solicited a sexual act in exchange for $40 from an undercover Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force agent, driving to Salem on Sept. 21 for the arranged meeting.

Gary Crabtree, 69, Dunn Road, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for disorderly conduct, amended from assault. A second assault charge was dismissed. Crabtree was accused of causing harm to two juveniles on April 15 in East Liverpool.

Navajo Culler, 26, Prospect Street, Salem, was fined $200 for disorderly conduct, amended from domestic violence, and was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. The charge related to an altercation Nov. 2 when she caused physical injuries to a man at the Prospect Street residence.

Tina Reynolds, 54, Firestone Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $1,280 and sentenced to 90 days in jail for OVI, no license, no seat belt and failure to control. Her license was suspended for three years and she was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Autumn Kisner, 27, Somer Street, Leetonia, was fined $900 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 days suspended and credit for three days at a driver intervention program, for OVI and marked lanes. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year and she was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Christopher McCartney, 46, Center Avenue, Lisbon, was fined $875 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days at a driver intervention program, for physical control, amended from OVI. His driver’s license was suspended for 180 days and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

A pretrial was set Jan. 19 for Jonathan VonSpiegel, 34, whose address was listed as Youngstown and Alliance, charged with OVI first offense and speeding.

A status conference hearing was set Nov. 21 for Robert Cochran Jr., 32, North Jackson, charged with two counts driving under suspension and speeding. He’ll also face a probation violation hearing that day on charges of OVI second offense, driving under suspension and left of center.

A pretrial was set Jan. 26 for Jermaine Lawson II, 18, Alliance, charged with possession of marijuana, OVI first offense and speeding.

William Parrish III, 29, Hazel Run Road, Salineville, was fined $750 for discharging a firearm on prohibited premises and littering for dumping a plastic container at an illegal dump on Foundry Hill Road and shooting down Foundry Hill Road, causing a ricochet over a wildlife officer on April 6.

Tina George, 54, McDonald Street, East Liverpool, was fined $150 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for two days served, for criminal damaging for breaking out a window Sept. 30 at a home in East Liverpool.

Elizabeth Mary Schultz, 33, West Ninth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for speeding, with another charge of speeding and driving under suspension both dismissed.

A pretrial was set Jan. 24 for Abigail Antonini, 22, New Brighton, Pa., charged with speeding.

Esther Kababa, 18, Monroeville, Pa., was fined $75 for lighted lights, amended from speeding.

Alexander Burcham, 29, Cannons Mill Road, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for driving under suspension.

Silas Lok Sung Black, 19, state Route 39, Wellsville, was fined $50 for an equipment violation, amended from speeding.

Nancy Schoolcraft, 62, Shadyside Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for speeding.

Mohammed Muntaser, 30, North Olmsted, was fined $150 for speeding.

Marcelyn Fuller, 69, Clewell Drive, Lisbon, was fined $100 for speeding.

A pretrial was set Dec. 22 for Brittany Teis, 30, Alliance, charged with driving under suspension, amended from non-compliance.

Misti McKinney, 35, Youngstown, was fined $200 for driving under suspension and improper/expired registration.