Common Pleas

New Cases

Patrick Murphy, Badin, N.C., vs Keyonna Murphy, Orchard Grove Avenue, East Liverpool; divorce sought.

Docket Entries

Melissa Brink vs. Willis Brink; divorce granted.

Fifth Third Bank National Association vs. Sheryl Biddle, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Sugar Camp Drive, East Palestine property.

County Treasurer vs. Brian Booth II, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Riley Avenue, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer vs. Clyde Junior Barker, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for St. George Street, East Liverpool property.

Court News

LISBON — A Salem woman charged for drugs and fleeing from police was ordered to prison for three years and three months after appearing for sentencing in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

Katie Wadlow, 36, West Fourth Street, received a combination of consecutive and concurrent sentences which totaled 39 months for two counts aggravated possession of drugs, one with a forfeiture specification, and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, all third-degree felonies, and misdemeanors of obstructing official business and driving under suspension.

She received mandatory fines of $5,000 each for the two drug counts, had her driver’s license suspended for 10 years and was ordered to forfeit $1,013 for the specification of money from a drug case.

Wadlow fled from police in Salem when they were attempting a traffic stop due to outstanding warrants against her on Feb. 22, 2022. Both drug charges, one from the traffic stop and one from Aug. 22, 2021, involved methamphetamine in an amount equal to or exceeding the bulk amount but less than five times the bulk amount.

Her probation for a 2019 drug case was also terminated for violations, with Wadlow sentenced to 246 days in jail, but credited for 246 days already served. The aggravated possession of drugs charge stemmed from her possession of methamphetamine on July 21, 2019.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Timothy Speare, 33, Stow, was sentenced to nine months in prison, with credit for one day served in jail, for attempted compelling prostitution and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, both fourth-degree felonies, and importuning, a fifth-degree felony. Charges of possessing criminal tools and engaging in prostitution were being dismissed. Speare solicited sexual conduct in exchange for $200 from an agent posing as a mother and her 15-year-old daughter and drove to East Palestine for the meeting on July 29, 2022.

— John C. Moffatt Jr., 66, Ellwood City, Pa., was sentenced to eight months in prison for attempted compelling prostitution, a fourth-degree felony, with credit for one day served in jail. He was deemed a Tier II sex offender required to register his address with law enforcement. Moffatt was accused of arranging for sexual conduct with an undercover agent he believed to be a minor in exchange for money on June 25, 2021. Two other charges were dismissed.

— Jeffrey Pressler, 47, Columbus, was sentenced to nine months in prison for a lesser offense fourth-degree felony of attempted compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and fifth-degree felony importuning, with credit for one day served in jail. A charge of possessing criminal tools will be dismissed. Pressler requested sexual conduct from an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female in exchange for $160 and traveled to Salem on June 12, 2022 for the arranged meeting. He was deemed a Tier II sex offender required to register his address with law enforcement.

— Kristi McGarry, 29, Canfield, was placed on probation for three years for a third-degree felony of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specific governmental facility and fifth-degree felonies of aggravated possession of drugs, possession of controlled substance analog, possession of fentanyl-related compound, possession of heroin and possession of cocaine. She received credit for four days served in jail. The drug charges also carried a specification for forfeiture of money in a drug case for $1,393 she had in her possession and was ordered forfeited. The indictment said the charges all stemmed from an incident Feb. 12, 2022. Drugs in her alleged possession included methamphetamine, fentanyl-related compound, heroin and cocaine.

— Chelsea Krol, 24, West Garfield Street, Salem, pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony possession of hashish with a forfeiture specification for money from a drug case for possessing hashish on July 14, 2022 in an amount equal to or exceeding 50 grams but less than 250 grams, with $176 also in her possession. A charge of trafficking in hashish will be dismissed. Sentencing was set for Sept. 1.

— A 2022 indictment and warrant for Michael Quinn, 47, formerly of Valley Avenue, East Liverpool, was dismissed after prosecutors learned of his death. He had been charged with a fourth-degree felony assault and misdemeanors of petty theft and resisting arrest for allegedly stealing a wheelchair from the Goodwill in Calcutta on Aug. 6, 2022 and assaulting and resisting St. Clair Township Patrolman Joshua Jackson during the arrest.

— A motion for a psychological evaluation of Shannon Johnson, 42, McDonald Street, East Liverpool, was granted to determine competency to stand trial on charges of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, a third-degree felony, and possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. Her defense attorney requested the evaluation to determine sanity at the time of the alleged offense. A jury trial that was supposed to be Wednesday was canceled. Her charges stemmed from alleged possession of cocaine on Dec. 29, 2019.

— Gary Blare, 42, 12th Street, Wellsville, was ordered to spend seven days in jail for violating his probation for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. His probation was dishonorably terminated. Blare possessed oxycodone on July 15, 2017.

— Michelle Brown, 48, Erie Street, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center after violating her community control for two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine and oxycodone on Sept. 13, 2020.

— Jonathan Manley, 48, Youngstown, was placed on probation for two years after pleading guilty to nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony. He received credit for 32 days already spent in jail. Manley failed to pay child support for one child from Sept. 1, 2013 to Aug. 1, 2018.

— Chloe Sorgman, 22, Black Road, Lisbon, was placed on probation for three years after pleading guilty to two counts fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs with a specification for forfeiture of money in a drug case. The $490 from the specification will be forfeited. Sorgman possessed amphetamine and psilocyn, along with the money, July 31, 2022.