Court News

LISBON — A Salineville man charged for multiple drug felonies stemming from a 2022 drug raid at a Foundry Hill Road home entered guilty pleas recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to two separate indictments.

Austin Ford, 23, West Main Street, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony possession of cocaine, fourth-degree felony possession of fentanyl-related compound, and two fifth-degree felony counts of aggravated possession of drugs, all with specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case, for charges related to the drug raid.

Drugs involved included; cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 10 grams, but less than 20 grams; fentanyl-related compound in an amount equal or greater than 1 gram but less than 5 grams, oxycodone and 6-MAM (6-monoacetylmorphine). The forfeiture specification amount was $111.

The Columbiana County Drug Task Force executed the search warrant at the Foundry Hill Road, Salineville property on Jan. 27, 2022, seizing a handgun, two rifles, crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, pills, several phones, drug paraphernalia and some cash. A charge of trafficking in cocaine was being dismissed.

Ford also pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl-related compound and aggravated possession of drugs, both fifth-degree felonies, for possessing fentanyl-related compound and oxycodone on April 2, 2021.

Sentencing was set for Aug. 2.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Eric Graham, 42, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, and one count of misdemeanor driving under suspension, for allegedly eluding officers in East Liverpool during an attempted traffic stop Aug. 25, 2022 and failing to stop for officers in St. Clair Township on Sept. 3, 2022, leading officers to Midland, Pa., where he fled on foot before being apprehended. Sentencing was set for Oct. 2.

— Indya Spann, 22, Commerce Street, Wellsville, was placed on probation for three years and ordered to spend up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. The sentence is to be served concurrently with the sentences for two other cases that remain pending.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Rebecca Hawke, Eagleton Road, Lisbon, vs. David Hawke, Cleveland; divorce sought.

Docket Entries

Carrington Mortgage Services LLC vs. Phillip Goodwin, et al.; case returned to active docket.

Grand Jury

LISBON — A Salem man accused of assaulting a pregnant woman was indicted this week by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for two felony charges.

Christopher West, 30, West Pershing Street, was charged with strangulation, a third-degree felony, and domestic violence, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly punching the woman in the face, choking her and dragging her down the stairs at a Salem residence on May 13. The indictment noted that the victim was pregnant at the time of the incident.

The grand jury met for two days, examining 52 witnesses covering 51 cases, and issued 36 open indictments and 15 secret indictments. Secret indictments aren’t made public until the indictments are served. A story in Friday’s edition noted some of the open indictments.

The rest of the open indictments issued included:

— Alan T. James, 45, Irondale, two fourth-degree felony assaults, and misdemeanors of using weapons while intoxicated, resisting arrest and obstructing official business. James was allegedly seen standing next to a truck and trailer with a shotgun laying on the tailgate on April 26 on state Route 39, Wellsville, wouldn’t give his name when approached by sheriff’s deputies and resisted when a deputy attempted to check him for weapons, ignoring multiple commands to stop reaching in his pockets and put his hands behind his back. Once handcuffed, he kicked a deputy multiple times and trapped another deputy’s arm in between his.

— Dustin Martin, 36, Youngstown, second-degree felony of felonious assault, third-degree felony domestic violence and third-degree felony abduction for allegedly causing physical harm to a woman at a residence on Steubenville Pike Road in Lisbon on Jan. 21, by choking her, throwing her to the floor and causing her to lose consciousness. The indictment alleged he also restricted her liberty.

— Kaleb Stillwell, 18, Orchard Street, East Liverpool, third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, and fourth-degree felony vehicular assault for allegedly fleeing from police attempting a traffic stop on May 12 in Wellsville, leading a pursuit to state Route 7 where the vehicle crashed into a hill. The indictment alleged that Stillwell caused serious physical harm to a person while driving recklessly.

— Brad Symanski, 44, Maple Street, Lisbon, two counts assault and three counts harassment with a bodily substance, all fifth-degree felonies, for allegedly refused to be handcuffed while in booking at the county jail, fighting with corrections officers and spitting on them on May 16. The indictment alleged he attempted to cause physical harm to two of the officers, then spit on three of them.

— Jordyn Price 25, McKee Road, Wellsville, third-degree burglary and misdemeanor theft for allegedly remaining at an Avondale, East Liverpool property to commit theft after being told to leave by the homeowner when he left for work May 1.

— Holly Maddocks, 24, Thompson Avenue, East Liverpool, third-degree felony burglary for allegedly breaking into the home of a family friend in East Liverpool, beginning to tear up the interior and drinking the homeowner’s alcohol on May 14.

— Charles Shelva Lee Bell, 19, Blakely Street, East Liverpool, fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present for allegedly breaking the front window of an East Liverpool residence on April 7 and entering the occupied home to get his video game system.

— Kristopher Simpson, 28, state Route 7, New Waterford, third-degree felony intimidation and misdemeanors of resisting arrest, obstructing official business and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs for allegedly making threats against a Salem police officer while on the way to the jail after resisting arrest and refusing orders of police during his arrest for traffic charges on May 14 in Salem.

— Kira Price, 34, Bloomfield Road, East Liverpool, third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and misdemeanor driving under suspension for allegedly fleeing from police attempting a traffic stop on May 13 in St. Clair Township, accelerating to speeds between 100 and 120 mph and striking a tractor trailer in a construction zone, disabling her vehicle.

— Jeramy Heath, 29, Orchard Grove, East Liverpool, misdemeanor theft for stealing from Walmart from April 11 to May 8.

— William L. Gist, 55, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony assault for allegedly attempting to cause a harm to a female jail employee by throwing two dinner trays at her on May 1 while he was an inmate at the Columbiana County jail.

— Anthony Baker, 38, Sophia Street, East Liverpool, fourth-degree felony failure to provide notice of change of address for allegedly failing to provide his change of address to the sheriff’s office on May 25, which is a requirement for convicted sex offenders.

— Douglas Gill, 42, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, second-degree felony failure to provide notice of change of address and misdemeanor falsification for allegedly failing to register his address with the sheriff’s office as a convicted sex offender on May 4 and making false statements on March 2.

— Aaron Yonker, 27, Ravenna, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor for allegedly requesting sexual conduct with a 15-year-old girl after making arrangements with an undercover agent posing as an adult prostitute offering her friend in exchange for $60 and an iced coffee. He drove to Salem for the meeting on Feb. 24.

— Matthew L. Withers, 35, Steubenville, third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted illegal sexual conduct with a minor, and fifth-degree felonies of importuning and possessing criminal tools. Matthew L. Withers allegedly requested sexual conduct from an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female in exchange for $120, coming to Salem with his phone on April 8 for the meeting.

— Brandon Byers, 30, 18th Street, Wellsville, fourth-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly striking another man with a closed fist in a vehicle on April 29 in East Liverpool.

— Charles Wellman, 48, West Fourth Street, Salem, fourth-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly scratching a woman during a physical altercation over her cell phone on May 24 in Salem.

— Alfred Thompson, 41, Mecca Road NE, Kensington, fourth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanor endangering children for allegedly causing intentional physical harm to a 15-year-old juvenile on March 21 and 25 in Salem.

— James Laughlin, 32, Dutchtown School Road, Rogers, fifth-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly kicked a pregnant woman during an altercation at the Y-Inn Bar and Grill on state Route 7 in Rogers on Oct. 7.

— Devin Earich, 28, High Street, Leetonia, fourth-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly causing physical harm to a woman by slamming her against a door and grabbing her from behind as she walked into another room and choking and slamming her to the ground on June 14 in Leetonia.

— Michael Pierre, 37, Youngstown, third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution for allegedly answering an undercover ad posted on a known prostitution website of an adult mother and her 15-year-old daughter, arranging for sexual conduct with the females in exchange for $140 and traveling to East Palestine on Feb. 28 for the meeting.

— Larry E. Smith, 39, New Castle, Pa., charged with third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and fifth-degree felonies of importuning and possessing criminal tools for allegedly answering an undercover ad posted on a known prostitution website of an adult female and 15-year-old female and soliciting sexual conduct with the juvenile in exchange for $140, arriving in East Palestine on March 4 for the meeting.

— Michael R. Dennison, 28, Morris Avenue, Salem, third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution for allegedly responding to an undercover ad of an adult mother trafficking her 15-year-old daughter on a known prostitution website, arranging for sexual activity with both females in exchange for $140 and arriving in East Palestine on April 16 for the meeting.

— Husam Jamal Abdelaziz, 24, Youngstown, third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover ad of an adult mother trafficking her 15-year-old daughter on a known prostitution website, arranging for sexual activity with the teen in exchange for $140 and arriving in East Palestine on April 15 for the meeting.