Columbiana County Municipal Court

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a case was bound over to the county grand jury against Daniel Andrew Hess, 63, Mineral Ridge, charged with compelling prostitution, a third-degree felony, attempted, a fourth-degree felony, possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony, and a misdemeanor of engaging in prostitution, after he waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

As a condition of bond, he was ordered to immediately enroll in counseling, not use the Internet, possess a flip phone to call or text family, and have no contact with any minor with the exception of family members as long as other adults are present.

Hess allegedly made arrangements with an undercover Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force agent to meet an adult female and 15-year-old girl for sexual conduct in exchange for $130, arriving in Salem on Nov. 9 with his cell phone, the money and two Frosty’s from Wendy’s he was asked to pick up for the females.

A case was bound over to the county grand jury against Matthew Ward, 34, Michigan Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence, a third-degree felony, and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, after he waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Ward allegedly assaulted a man in East Liverpool on Nov. 29, pinning him down in a chair, and holding his hands and wrist causing injury. He had two previous convictions for domestic violence and also allegedly resisted when being placed under arrest.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Dec. 15 for John M. Plavka, 51, Knox School Road, Minerva, charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia. Plavka allegedly arranged to have sexual activity with a female in exchange for $20 and some methamphetamine in answer to an undercover ad and requested a ride to Lisbon from a fictitious cab company set up by law enforcement. He was allegedly dropped off in Hanoverton and picked up by the “cab,” which was stopped by police in Lisbon. He denied bringing the meth which investigators located after a search.

Sheila McGath, 41, Union Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $200 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 176 days suspended and credit for four days served, for violation of a protection order. She was also ordered to complete 30 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. McGath violated a protection order on June 12, 2022 by sending numerous texts to the victim.

A pretrial was set Feb. 28 for Kaila DiMaggio, 25, Baum Street, East Liverpool, charged with theft for allegedly stealing 28 items of merchandise totaling $369 from the Calcutta Walmart on Nov. 30.

A status hearing was set Feb. 28, with a jury trial March 15, for James Spar Price, 32, Burford Street, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly punching a woman in the throat, dragging her around outside, strangling her and stomping on her foot on July 4 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Feb. 27 for Zachery Humphreys, 29, Fairway Drive, East Liverpool, charged with theft for allegedly stealing multiple miscellaneous items from Dollar Tree in East Liverpool on Nov. 10.

Matthew Scott Rudder, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $550 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 10 days, leaving 20 days to serve for possessing drug abuse instruments, falsification and theft. On Nov. 22 in East Liverpool, Rudder failed to pay for a cab fare and fled upon exiting the cab, hiding behind a tree, and then gave police a false name and had a syringe when taken into custody.

Dustin Hambleton, 38, Y & O Road, Wellsville, was fined $250 and sentenced to 35 days in jail, with credit for 27 days, leaving eight days to serve, for domestic violence for grabbing a woman by the throat and threatening her on Nov. 12 in Wellsville.

A pretrial was set Dec. 15 for David Todd, 51, Elkton West Point Road, Lisbon, charged with criminal damaging for allegedly kicking in doors and starting fires around a property in Elkton on Dec. 6.

Keith Dennis, 42, Rose Drive, Lisbon, was fined $150 and sentenced to 10 days in jail, with credit for two days served, for criminal damaging for breaking a lock box containing sharps at East Liverpool City Hospital on April 23.

A pretrial was set Feb. 21 for Raymond Sicklesmith, 53, Burrows Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with five counts of failure to file city income tax returns in the city of East Liverpool allegedly for tax years 2015 through 2020.

Tristan Amelung, 25, Hubbard, was fined $615 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 160 days suspended, leaving 20 days to serve for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs and speeding. His driver’s license was suspended for two years and he was permitted to buy out 40 hours community service.

A pretrial was set Feb. 21 for Richie Burton, 56, North Green Street, Lisbon, charged with OVI second offense, OVI breath second offense, driving under suspension and failure to yield.

A pretrial was set Feb. 23 for David Shaw, 57, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, charged with OVI refusal with prior within 20 years, driving under suspension and OVI first offense.

Jennifer McCord, 47, Warren, was fined $975 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days for a driver intervention program, for OVI first offense and marked lanes. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and her driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted.

Eric Pidgeon, 50, Newgarden Avenue, Salem, was fined $1,000 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended, for OVI first offense and failure to control. His driver’s license was suspended for two years and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Noah Levans, 18, Newgarden Avenue, Salem, was fined $150 for reckless operation.

A pretrial was set Jan. 26 for Christopher Judge, 36, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension and A tail lights violation.

A pretrial was set Feb. 6 for Steven Summers, 47, Vale Street, East Liverpool, charged with marked lanes.

A pretrial was set Feb. 16 for Jeffrey Heffinger, 51, West Calla Road, Salem, charged with OVI first offense and speeding

A pretrial was set Feb. 27 for Preston Woods, 33, Prospect Street, Salem, charged with OVI-controlled substance and OVI-concentration of marijuana.

Julie Underwood, 45, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $400 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 days suspended and credit for three days served, for possession of drug abuse instruments, illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia and traffic control devices for possessing a hypodermic needle and meth smoking pipe during a traffic stop on Aug. 4 in Columbiana.

Jason Courtney, 42, Canfield, was fined $150 for an equipment violation, amended from speeding.

A pretrial was set Feb. 23 for Darren Phillips, 60, West South Range Road, Salem, charged with failure to yield right of way.

Nolan Bloor, 42, Riverside Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $100 for possession of marijuana.

Darryl Stokes, 55, North Broadway Avenue, Salem, was fined $150 for possession of marijuana.

Timothy Ray Webb, 42, West State Street, Salem, was fined $250 for driving under suspension.

Brandon Ware, 22, East Chestnut Street, Lisbon, was fined $150 for possession of marijuana.

Zena Shrive, 42, Gardendale Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for a stop sign-school bus violation.

Robert Lockard, 63, Kibler Road, New Waterford, was fined $150 for unsafe vehicle, amended from speeding.

Autumn McDowell, 27, Youngstown, agreed to pay court costs after a driving under suspension charge was dismissed.

A pretrial was set Feb. 14 for Michael Anton Howell, 44, Alden Extension, Alliance, charged with obstructing official business and drug paraphernalia for allegedly causing a disruption during a warrant arrest of a roommate Dec. 2 in East Palestine in which numerous devices used to ingest methamphetamine were found in the room they share.

Columbiana County

Grand Jury

LISBON — Drug defendants recently served with secret indictments issued by the November session of the Columbiana County Grand Jury included:

— Rhiannon Ikirt, 23, Mattix Road, Lisbon, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on May 2, 2022.

— Indya Spann, 22, Commerce Street, Wellsville, possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing buprenorphine on Nov. 25, 2021.

— Michael Swiger, 43, Weirton, W.Va., possession of a fentanyl-related compound and aggravated possession of drugs, both fifth-degree felonies, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine and a fentanyl-related compound on Feb. 3, 2022.

— Kira Jackson, 34, Washington Street, Lisbon, possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, and illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, a third-degree felony, for allegedly possessing cocaine in a facility on March 12, 2022.

— Eric Elerick, also known as Eric Richard Elerick, 46, Cleveland, nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, issued in August for allegedly failing to provide child support for one child from March 1, 2020 through Feb. 27, 2022.

— Amanda M. Wilson, 31, Ravenna, possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, issued in November for allegedly possessing cocaine on April 20, 2022.

Columbiana County Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Cheryl Pilmer, Lowmiller Road; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Lowmiller Road, Minerva property.

Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC, Virginia Beach, Va., vs. Joshua Thomas, Washington Street, Leetonia, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Docket Entries

Chris Woolley Jr. vs. Tiffany Woolley; divorce case dismissed.

Westfield National Insurance Co. vs. Shanice Thompson and Michael Thompson; judgment revived for $6,467.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company vs. unknown heirs estate of Robert L. Smith, deceased, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Depot Road, Salem property.

Nicholas Adkins and Katherine Adkins; dissolution granted.

Coulumbiana County Court News

LISBON — A motion for judicial release filed on behalf of Howard P. Sweitzer Jr., 50, Struthers, was denied by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton.

Sweitzer was sentenced in June to a year in prison for charges of importuning, compelling prostitution and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, receiving credit for nine days served in jail. He was also deemed a Tier II sex offender, requiring him to register his address with the sheriff’s officer of the county where he resides every 90 days for the rest of his life.

Bickerton noted that granting judicial release now would demean the seriousness of the charges against him.

On June 30, 2021, Sweitzer attempted to compel someone he believed to be between 13 and 16 years old to perform sexual conduct for hire. A possession of criminal tools charge was dismissed.