Common Pleas

New Cases

Ralph Galeoti II, Williams Avenue, East Liverpool, vs. Britney Galeoti, Williams Avenue, East Liverpool; divorce sought.

Christopher McQuiston, Southeast Boulevard, Salem, vs. Monica McQuiston, Deerfield; divorce sought.

Cynthia Matea, East Indiana Avenue, Sebring, and Joshua Matea, Canton; dissolution sought.

William J. Baker, Columbiana-Lisbon Road, Columbiana, and Kayla Baker, Honey Lane, Leetonia; dissolution sought.

Docket Entries

Anthony Thompson vs. Cassie Thompson; divorce granted.

Lauren Seidner and Zachary Seidner; dissolution granted.

Lisa Fultz and Timothy Fultz; dissolution granted.

Gage Wright and Harley Townsend; dissolution granted.

Matthew Doerschuk vs. The Geo Group Inc., et al.; case settled and dismissed.

Amerihome Mortgage Company vs. Jordan Reed, also known as Guire; case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. unknown heirs of Chalmer W. Nicholson III, deceased; property forfeited to state of Ohio, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Christopher Miller, et al.; Chesapeake Exploration LLC and CHK Utica LLC dismissed as defendants.

County Treasurer vs. David W. Lotze, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Cleveland Street, Salem property.

County Treasurer vs. David Carroll, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Quay Road, Negley property.

County Treasurer vs. Kimberly Ann Lippiatt; payment plan entered, case stayed.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Kane Kurpely, 19, McSwiggen Road, Salineville, was served Monday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Oct. 2, 2022.

Court News

LISBON — A Lisbon man accused of violating a protection order and having a stolen gun in his possession was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to three felony counts.

Joshua Vishak, 48, Y Camp Road, Lisbon, entered the pleas in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to third-degree felonies of violating a protection order and having weapons while under disability and fourth-degree felony receiving stolen property for allegedly violating a protection order while committing a felony offense on Feb. 2 at a Faulk Avenue, East Liverpool property where a search warrant was being executed. At the time, Vishak allegedly had in his possession a stolen Taurus 62C 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. He was prohibited from having any weapons due to previous felony convictions.

The sentence in this case was ordered served consecutive to a 12-month prison sentence issued earlier this year for three counts of violating a protection order, a fifth-degree felony, and single counts of domestic violence, a fifth-degree felony, and gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony, for an incident March 14, 2022.

That sentence was ordered served consecutive to the six-month term issued for three additional counts of violating a protection order for protection order violations that occurred March 26, 2021 and March 27, 2021.

All together, that’s 36 months or three years in prison.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Christopher Joy, 38, Avondale Street, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve two years in prison after violating his probation for complicity to illegal open dumping of solid waste, an unclassified felony. He received credit for 463 days already served in jail and his probation was dishonorably terminated. On July 5, 2017, Joy aided or abetted another man in committing an offense of illegal open dumping of solid waste.

— Johnathan Post, 35, Taylor Road, Negley, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possession of fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, and having weapons under disability, a third-degree felony. Post had a loaded firearm in a vehicle during a traffic stop on April 22, 2021 and was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous criminal conviction for arson in Trumbull County.

— Nathaniel Carter, 41, Maple Avenue, Wellsville, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after violating his probation for five counts of nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to pay child support for five children from Sept. 20, 2020 to Sept. 18, 2022. His probation was dishonorably terminated.

— Walter Short, 40, Wells Hollow Road, Wellsville, was placed on probation for two years after pleading guilty to nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony. He was ordered to pay his full monthly child support obligation of $217.03. Short was charged for failing to pay child support for one child from Jan. 1, 2018 to Jan. 26, 2020.

— Thomas Phillips Jr., 50, South Egypt Road, Salem, was placed on probation for two years after pleading guilty to nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony. He was ordered to pay his full monthly child support obligation of $161.54. Phillips failed to pay child support for one child from Feb. 28, 2021 to Feb. 26, 2023.

— Timothy Wirtz, 47, Lowellville, was sentenced to six months in prison for a lesser offense fourth-degree felony attempted compelling prostitution and fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, with credit for four days already served in jail. Charges of possessing criminal tools and engaging in prostitution were dismissed. Wirtz solicited sexual conduct from an undercover agent posing as an adult female in exchange for $80 and from a 15-year-old female friend of the adult, expecting to meet both of them in Salem on May 30, 2022. He was deemed a Tier II sex offender requiring him to register his address with the sheriff’s office where he resides after his release from prison.

— Chloe L. Sorgman, 22, Black Road, Lisbon, was ordered to spend up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center after violating her probation for failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs and driving under suspension. She will remain on probation upon her release from the EOCC. On Nov. 28, 2020, she fled from police while under the influence and without a license.

— Tyler Croskey, 26, Columbus, was placed on a treatment plan for two years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with credit for one day served. Croskey possessed tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on Aug. 29, 2020.

— David Coulter, 41, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, was placed on probation for one year after pleading guilty to attempted aggravated possession of drugs, a misdemeanor. He received credit for three days served in jail. The charge stemmed from an incident Oct. 21, 2021.

— Indya Spann, 22, Commerce Street, Wellsville, was ordered to spend up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center after violating the terms of there treatment plan for drug charges from two separate indictments. Her intervention in lieu of conviction was terminated, but with Spann remaining eligible for community control. The charges included aggravated possession of drugs, possession of drugs, possession of cocaine and possession of heroin, all fifth-degree felonies. Spann possessed cocaine, heroin and eutylone on Oct. 1, 2021 and buprenorphine on Nov. 25, 2021.