Common Pleas

New Cases

Ralph Coursin, Etowah, Tenn., vs. Virginia Moore, state Route 267, East Liverpool; divorce sought.

Jeffrey Seidner, Haessley Road, Hanoverton, and Katherine Seidner, West Martin Street, East Palestine; dissolution sought.

Sierriah Klein, Calcutta Smith Ferry Road, East Liverpool, vs. Chase Klein, St. Clair Avenue., East Liverpool; divorce sought.

Yvonne Connor, Superior Avenue, Salem, vs. Steven Conner, Chatham, Va.; divorce sought.

Karly Golden, Wyoming Avenue, East Liverpool, vs Garret Morris, Sanford Avenue, East Liverpool, and Lawrence Messenger, North Shadylane, East Liverpool; personal injury claim from 2021 dog bite incident.

Huntington National Bank, Columbus, vs. Gregory Dickinson, individually and as executor of estate of Carol Dickinson, South State Street, New Waterford, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Kristin McNicol, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Thomas Dishler, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed.

Eric M. David vs. Edward Wilson, et al.; $2,390 judgment for attorney fees granted to Littlejohn Law LLC

Grand Jury

LISBON — An East Liverpool man accused of firing a gun into a habitation and improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle in April was served Wednesday with a secret indictment.

Brandon Moore, 20, Avondale Street, was charged by the Columbiana County Grand Jury with second-degree felony improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or school safety zone, with a firearm specification, and two counts of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor.

The incident occurred April 13 with a loaded firearm.

Also served with a secret indictment was Katelyn McCourt, 26, Mountz Road, Salem, illegal use of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits or WIC program benefits, a third-degree felony, for the time period Sept. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022.

Court News

LISBON — A Pennsylvania woman accused of attempting to harm a sheriff’s deputy with the car she was driving while fleeing from deputies April 3, 2021 was ordered evaluated regarding her sanity.

Amberlina N. Gentsy, 29, Monaca, Pa., appeared for a status hearing recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court before Judge Scott Washam, who found she was competent to face trial based on an evaluation by Heartland Behavioral Health.

Defense counsel then requested an evaluation to determine her sanity at the time of the offense, for her ability to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

Another status hearing was set for Nov. 20.

Gentsy was charged with felonious assault and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, both felonies, and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or combination of them, a misdemeanor. She allegedly struck the rear of a deputy’s cruiser after the vehicle slowed in front of her at the intersection of state Routes 154 and 45 during the chase with deputies.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Gage Gough, 29, Ambrose Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to second-degree felony burglary, third-degree felony grand theft when the property is a firearm or dangerous ordnance and fifth-degree felony theft, with sentencing set for Nov. 16. Gough was accused of forcefully entering an East Liverpool residence on Oct. 28, 2022 and stealing a safe which contained money, two loaded handguns and personal papers. The indictment described the guns as a Denali cobra .380 and a Ruger LCP and the cash totaled $1,100.

— Lynsey Carrol, 22, Idaho Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of third-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor assault, with sentenced set for Nov. 16. She had originally been charged with aggravated burglary. She and another person were accused of kicking in the back door of a Mulberry Street, East Liverpool, residence on March 3 after an argument about a pizza delivered. Carrol struck a woman at the residence in the face with her fist.

— Justin Ingledue, 35, Fairfield School Road, Columbiana, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanor resisting arrest, with sentencing set for Sept. 28. Ingledue was accused of causing physical harm to Deputy Jen Calko on April 16, 2022 after pulling away while being handcuffed and allegedly tossing a joint in the mud to destroy it after deputies responded to a domestic on Fairfield School Road.

— Preston English, 30, Densmore Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to two counts domestic violence, a third-degree felony, for attempting to harm a woman on Aug. 12, 2022 and Aug. 27, 2022, with previous convictions for domestic violence elevating the charges to felonies. Sentencing was set for Nov. 16.

— Todd Gang, 40, Canton, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony attempted illegal sexual conduct with a minor and fifth-degree felonies of importuning and two counts disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, with sentencing set for Nov. 27. Another charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and possessing criminal tools will be dismissed. Gang was accused of making contact with an undercover social media account of a 15-year-old female maintained by an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force for investigations. An affidavit said Gang arranged for sexual conduct with the female, also asking for naked images of the teen. After she would not send them, he said he would just take some when they met. He also allegedly transmitted one image of his private parts and two videos of sexual activity, the affidavit said. He arrived in Salem for the meeting on April 7.

— Kelly Reed, 34, Sunset Drive, Wellsville, pleaded guilty to illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a third-degree felony, and aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, allegedly involving methamphetamine on Feb. 12, 2022. Sentencing was set for Jan. 25.

— Jesse Shiflett, 29, Youngstown, was placed on probation for three years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Feb. 22, 2022.

— Nathaniel Hodgson, 39, Arch Street, Salem, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony having weapons while under disability and fourth-degree felony improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, with sentencing set for Dec. 21. Hodgson possessed a straw with residue and a loaded firearm during a traffic stop March 11 in Salem. He’s prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction for aggravated trafficking in drugs.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, an East Palestine man accused of presenting fraudulent hotel invoices to Norfolk Southern for reimbursement related to the February train derailment appeared for arraignment Thursday.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Oct. 5 for James Bollinger, 33, West Martin Street, East Palestine, who was charged with fourth-degree felonies of theft by deception and falsification and misdemeanors of improper/expired registration and violation of a protection order.

According to the affidavit filed by an East Palestine police detective, Bollinger allegedly presented altered Holiday Inn invoices to Norfolk Southern totaling $12,451. The invoices were allegedly altered to reflect a stay by Bollinger and he received compensation for the alleged fraudulent invoices. The protection order violation alleged he got into a woman’s car and refused to get out on Sept. 19 while an active protection order was in place against him.

A preliminary hearing was set Sept. 25 for Timothy Keyes, 44, Empire, charged with second-degree felony felonious assault for allegedly striking a man in the head with a pipe on July 15 in East Liverpool.

A preliminary hearing was set Sept. 25 for Richard Wright, 28, state Route 39, Salineville, charged with third-degree felony failure to verify change of address for allegedly failing to notify the sheriff’s office of his change of address as required since he’s a registered sex offender.

A preliminary hearing was set Sept. 25 for Thomas Wright, 47, state Route 39, Wellsville, charged with fourth-degree felony failure to verify change of address for allegedly failing to notify the sheriff’s office of his change of address as required since he’s a registered sex offender. He was also fined $100 for intoxication.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Sept. 25 for Emilio Quinones, 52, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem, charged with fourth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanors of obstructing official business, no valid license and improper/expired registration. Quinones allegedly assaulting a woman on Sept. 19 in Salem, with a previous domestic violence conviction on his record. While police were there, he continued to walk away and not follow their commands.

A pretrial was set Oct. 2 for Christopher Brink, 43, Franklin Avenue, Salem, charged with endangering children and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a bag of suspected methamphetamine and glass pipes used to smoke meth in a downstairs bedroom of a Salem home on Sept. 19 when a search warrant was executed by the Columbiana County Drug Task Force. There was also a loaded pistol located inside a popcorn box accessible to juveniles inside the residence.

A status hearing was set Nov. 2 for Dewayne Toothman, 41, East Fourth Street, East Liverpool, charged with assault for allegedly punching a child in the face in June.

A pretrial was set Jan. 4 for Nicholas Begovic, 29, Newton Falls, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly requesting sexual conduct from an undercover agent for an agreed upon price of $70 and driving to Salem on Sept. 8 for the meeting.

A pretrial was set Dec. 18 for Paul Jackson, 69, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with assault for allegedly assaulting hospital staff at East Liverpool City Hospital after being told he couldn’t go outside to smoke on Sept. 20.

Devin Lodge, 22, 15th Street, Sebring, was fined $1,060 and given a suspended 180-jail term for carrying a concealed weapon, illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, four counts driving under suspension, headlights required, and traffic control devices. Lodge possessed brass knuckles after claiming he had no weapons when he was a passenger during a traffic stop June 9 in Salem.

Romello Edison, 25, West Sixth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit for one day served, for assault, amended from domestic violence, for assaulting a woman he knows in the Walmart parking lot in Calcutta on Nov. 17, 2022.

A pretrial was set Nov. 28 for Joseph Summers, 43, Erie, Pa., charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of an adult mother and female and arranging for sexual activity in exchange for $160 and alleged cocaine, arriving in East Palestine on Feb. 26 for the meeting with suspected cocaine in his sock.

Allen Smith, 66, Amarillo, Negley, was fined $150 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for disorderly conduct, amended from menacing, for threatening a woman on Feb. 12 in East Palestine.

Amanda Wright, 30, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $300 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for theft. She was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and to stay out of Walmart in Columbiana County. Wright stole a cart’s worth of merchandise from the Calcutta Walmart on Dec. 1.

Kendall Arden Roberts, 58, Grant Street, East Liverpool, was fined $250 and sentenced to two days in jail, with credit for two days served, for disorderly conduct for continuing to yell and refusing to listen to police on July 8 in East Liverpool.

Darnell Arnott, 29, Chester, W.Va., $605 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 19 days served, for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, obstructing official business, two counts possessing drug abuse instruments, no license and marked lanes. On Sept. 5 during a traffic stop, he gave a different name than his own. The drug abuse instruments charges stemmed from him possessing a syringe while a passenger in a vehicle stopped outside Lisbon on Oct. 27, 2020 and during a traffic stop June 6, 2021 in East Liverpool. On June 9, 2021, he took a man’s car from a St. Clair Township laundromat.

A pretrial was set Jan. 4 for Ashley Sexton, 31, Fairlawn, charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle for allegedly taking a man’s truck without permission in Salem on Sept. 16.

A pretrial was set Dec. 7 for Donna Jones, 23, North Shady Lane Drive, East Liverpool, charged with theft for allegedly failing to scan and pay for two items totaling $30 at Calcutta Walmart on Sept. 14.

A pretrial was set Dec. 18 for Mary Goehring, 51, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with seven counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals for alleged cruelty from Jan. 1 through Feb. 9 at a Thomas Drive, Wellsville property and attempted to conceal evidence during a search of the property to investigate the conditions.

Carley Eckman, 30, Prospect Street, Salem, was fined $180 for driving under suspension and loud exhaust.

Kevin Clark, 58, West Martin Street, East Palestine, was fined $195 for no license, amended from driving under suspension, and marked lanes.

A pretrial was set Nov. 21 for Bret Davis, 61, Ninth Ave. Lacroft, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension.

James Moore, 34, Prospect Street, Salem, was fined $150 for possessing marijuana.

Christopher Graham, 47, Broadway Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $150 for speeding.

A pretrial was set Jan. 8 for Tommy Butler, 32, Campbell, charged with forfeiture.

A pretrial was set Dec. 4 for Sherry Coleman, 58, Wellsburg, W.Va., charged with a turn signal violation.