Court News

LISBON — In Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, Laura Blake, 56, Youngstown, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Nov. 13. Blake possessed cocaine and attempted to hide it on June 15, 2021.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Brock Bailey Jr., 25, Alliance, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Nov. 13. Bailey possessed methamphetamine on Nov. 7, 2021.

— Matthew Mraz, 50, Edgewood Drive, Columbiana, was placed on a treatment plan for three years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. He received credit for one day served. Mraz possessed methamphetamine on July 7, 2022.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Shelby Wynn, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, vs. Michael Board, Bill Smith Road, Wellsville, and Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, Dallas, Texas; personal injury claim from May 2022 traffic crash.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Ruby Jackson, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. David Hephner, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Robert Padgett, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Ponnie Sue Kemp, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Thomas Hissom, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Charles Kieser, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Thomas G. Moore, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. William House, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Randy Cope, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Renee Lamp, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Justin Blakeley; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Elizabeth Koster, et al.; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Melissa Adams; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Jason Adkins; payment plan completed, tax foreclosure case dismissed.

Alyssa Hilderbrand and Keith Hilderbrand Jr.; dissolution granted.

DNF Associates LLC vs. Alexandria Light; $1,223 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set Aug. 31 for Kristal Keyes, 39, Claibourne Street, East Liverpool, charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for allegedly being one of three people who assaulted a man on July 15 in East Liverpool.

A case against Timothy Curry, 49, Darlington, Pa., was bound over to the county grand jury for second-degree felony burglary for allegedly breaking into an ex-girlfriend’s East Palestine home and stealing a television on July 16.

A case against David Michael Cane, 38, West Ninth Street, East Liverpool, was bound over to the county grand jury for breaking and entering and possessing criminal tools, both fifth-degree felonies. On Aug. 4 in East Liverpool, Kane and another man were allegedly caught in the basement of a Mulberry Street building. Also found in the room was a duffle bag containing copper piping with bolt cutters and a camo backpack with screw drivers and a crow bar.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set for Sept. 25 for Michael Gatt, 54, Malibu Drive, East Palestine, charged with fourth-degree felony theft and misdemeanor obstructing official business for allegedly stealing a woman’s car while intoxicated at the Salem KOA campground on Winona Road in Butler Township on Aug. 18 and then fleeing on foot from sheriff’s deputies.

A pretrial was set Nov. 27 for Jennifer Stratton, 32, South Lincoln Avenue, Salem, charged with endangering a child after police found her children playing by the road on May 23 on South Lincoln Avenue in Perry Township and learned no adult was home and that Stratton was at work.

A pretrial was set Sept. 7 for Brandon Gust, 25, listed as homeless, charged with possession of drug abuse instrument, illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct. Gust allegedly told police he was walking to a friend’s house in Salem when officers escorted him to the address and he attempted contact by kicking doors to the apartment complex after being told to stop on Aug. 22. A glass pipe used as drug paraphernalia was found in his backpack. He also allegedly possessed syringes in his pocket.

Bocephus McElroy, 21, Ambrose Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 86 days suspended and credit for four days served, for obstructing official business and disorderly conduct for failing to follow commands of Columbiana County Special Response Team members to come to the door of a McKee Road, Wellsville property where they were executing a search warrant on May 9. He was slow to comply and had to be assisted out of the residence by SRT members. The disorderly conduct charge stemmed from an April 15 disturbance on Ambrose Avenue, East Liverpool.

Thomas Dennis, 44, East Fifth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 169 days suspended and credit for 11 days served, for assault, amended from domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 20 days community service. Dennis was accused of punching a juvenile in the back of the head and back during an incident Aug. 11 on Fawcett Street, East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Nov. 14 for Nicole Carr, 36, Ambrose Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with making false alarms for allegedly filing a missing persons report on a person on July 5, claiming she last spoke to him on July 3 and he refused to come home, cussed at her and blocked her on everything. On July 8, East Liverpool police responded to the Thompson Park pool and found the missing person and Carr, with a body cam recording showing her asking him why he came back, that he was supposed to wait until Monday.

Joseph Burley, 35, Hampstead, Md., was fined $750 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for possessing criminal tools, disorderly conduct amended from engaging in prostitution, and attempted possession of drugs. He was ordered to forfeit $100 to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force and permitted to buy out 40 hours of community service for $400. He was ordered to complete a 12-hour prostitution prevention course. Burley responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $100, arriving in East Palestine on March 19 for the meeting. He also possessed marijuana and half a tablet of amphetamine.

John Bradley Gardiner, 55, Canton, was fined $700 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. He was ordered to forfeit $100 to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours community service and a 12-hour prostitution prevention course. Gardiner requested sexual conduct from an undercover agent in exchange for $100 and traveled to Salem on July 18 for the meeting.

Jason Bynum, 36, Saginaw, Texas, was fined $750 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools, with a charge of drug paraphernalia dismissed. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and a 12-hour education course. Bynum responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity from a female in exchange for $80 and traveled to East Palestine on May 13 for the meeting.

Lachelle Malone, 34, Mineral City, was fined $200 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 176 days suspended and credit for four days served, for domestic violence. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Malone was accused of throwing a bowl at a man, throwing his television down the stairs and spitting on him during an argument on Aug. 13 on West Main Street, Salineville.

Gordon G. Davis, 47, Avondale Street, East Liverpool, was fined $25 for disorderly conduct for an incident Dec. 15, 2022 in East Liverpool. Charges of assault and theft were dismissed for an alleged incident Feb. 15 when he was accused of punching a woman and stealing her phone in East Liverpool.

Jesse Schisler, 38, Franklin Avenue, Salem, was fined $200 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 30 days suspended, for criminal trespass for illegally entering a woman’s residence in Salem on July 11.

Forrest Browning, 79, Bentley Drive, Salem, was fined $250 and given a suspended 60-day jail term for criminal damaging and discharge of firearms for shooting a pellet/bb gun into the yard to try and get rid of a raccoon problem and causing damage to a fence on Nov. 26 in Salem.

Patti Fitzpatrick, 36, Merle Road, Salem, was fined $125 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Fitzpatrick was intoxicated in the road in Salem on July 17, 2022

Timothy Bailey, 54, South Lundy Avenue, Salem, was fined $875 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended, and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol first offense. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Matthew Runkles, 40, East Martin Street, East Palestine, was fined $625 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended, leaving three days to serve for OVI first offense and driving under suspension. He also must serve three days in a driver intervention program. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and he was ordered to complete 50 hours community service.

Jeffrey Heffinger, 52, West Calla Road, Salem, was fined $875 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for physical control, amended from OVI, with a charge of speeding dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for two years, with driving privileges granted. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

A pretrial was set Nov. 20 for Jonathan Duncan, 41, New Castle, Pa., charged with OVI first offense, OVI breath first offense, no seat belt, marked lanes and speeding.

A pretrial was set Sept. 7 for Khrystelle Pavlick, 28, Youngstown, charged with possession of drug abuse instrument, driving under suspension and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a bag of drug paraphernalia, including a syringe, during a traffic stop in Columbiana on Aug. 22.

Blaine Vadino, 22, Longs Crossing Road, Leetonia, was fined $975 and sentenced to 90 days in jail with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI and possession of marijuana drug paraphernalia. A charge of speeding was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. A charge of improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle was also dismissed.

A charge of parental responsibility was dismissed against Christine Davis, 39, Chester Street, East Liverpool, at the request of the city of East Liverpool. Davis had been charged for a juvenile being out past curfew on May 17.

William McLaughlin Sr., 54, East Ninth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for refuse disposal prohibitions for leaving a pop can on the bank of the Ohio River in East Liverpool on June 13, 2021.

Nicole Carr, 36, Ambrose Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $325 for driving under suspension and illegal operation of dealer’s motor vehicle.

William Weyand Jr., 28, Prospect Street, Salem, was fined $180 for driving under suspension and no seat belt.

A pretrial was set Nov. 21 for Keith Fiscus, 65, Kittanning, Pa., charged with speeding.

Eric Jordan, 45, E. Pidgeon Road, Salem, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

Megan McDonald, 34, Chester, W.Va., was fined $100 for driving under suspension.

Tiffany Orr, 31, Koppel, Pa., was fined $300 for disorderly conduct, amended from possessing marijuana, and no license, amended from driving under suspension.

Robert Lee Simms, 31, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $275 for no license, driving under suspension and loud exhaust.

A pretrial was set Nov. 20 for Jonathan Duncan, 41, New Castle, Pa., charged with possessing marijuana.

A pretrial was set Aug. 28 for Gavin Quigg, 20, Sunset Boulevard, Wellsville, charged with driving under suspension, reckless operation, failure to display valid sticker and fleeing and eluding a police officer.

Christopher Knoch, 46, Warren, was fined $180 for driving under suspension and unsafe vehicle.

A pretrial was set Nov. 21 for Christopher Noble, 18, Struthers, charged with excessive smoke.