Grand Jury

Secret

LISBON — Darnell Jackson, 20, Youngstown, was served Thursday with a secret indictment for allegedly possessing fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine last year.

The charges issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury earlier this year included first-degree felony possession of fentanyl-related compound, second-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and fourth-degree felony possession of heroin. Jackson allegedly possessed the drugs on July 8, 2022, with the amount of meth equal or greater than five times the bulk amount but less than 50 times bulk and the amount of heroin equal or greater than 1 gram but less than 5 grams.

Open

LISBON — A Cleveland man accused of beating another man before taking his backpack, wallet and gold watch in Salem was indicted this week for aggravated robbery and felonious assault.

Dontae D. McKissic, 21, was one of 24 defendants issued open indictments by the Columbiana County Grand Jury, which met for two days on 62 cases and also issued three superseding indictments and 35 secret indictments. Secret indictments aren’t made public until the defendants are served.

The charges against McKissic included a first-degree felony aggravated robbery and second-degree felony felonious assault for the incident on Aug. 27 when he allegedly dragged the victim from inside a business, slammed his face into the outside wall and continued to beat him before robbing him.

Superseding

indictments issued were:

— Christopher Brink, 43, Franklin Avenue, Salem, added fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and a specification for forfeiture of money in a drug case to original charges of third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a plastic bag used for the storage of dangerous drugs during a traffic stop in Salem on April 6 and allegedly crumpling and throwing a piece of evidence behind him while exiting the vehicle. He possessed methamphetamine and $264.

— Ronald Middleton Jr., 56, West Pidgeon Road, Salem, added aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with a money forfeiture specification, to original charge of possession of marijuana, a third-degree felony, with a money forfeiture specification for $415 for allegedly possessing marijuana on Aug. 24, 2021 in an amount equal to or exceeding 1,000 grams, but less than 5,000 grams and possessing methamphetamine.

— Nikki Koffel, 34, West Fourth Street, East Liverpool, added third-degree felony harassment with a bodily substance to original charges of third-degree felony tamping with evidence, fifth-degree felonies of assault and obstructing official business and misdemeanor assault for an incident Feb. 25 when she allegedly assaulted a nurse at East Liverpool City Hospital by biting her and kicking her and kicked a corrections officer in the chest at the jail and bit her when the officer attempted to pry her mouth open. She also attempted to swallow alleged drugs in her mouth.

Other open

indictments included:

— Charles Shelva Lee Bell II, 20, Blakely Street, East Liverpool, second-degree felony robbery and misdemeanors of assault and theft for allegedly coming up to a man while he was pumping gas at River City Fill Up in East Liverpool and spraying him with pepper spray, then taking his phone and car keys before fleeing the scene on Sept. 14.

— Michael S. Long, 44, West Martin Street, East Palestine, fifth-degree felony cruelty to companion animals for allegedly shooting and killing the family dog on Aug. 9 in East Palestine.

— Ryan Gonzalez, 19, Canton, first-degree felony aggravated burglary, second-degree felony felonious assault, and fourth-degree felony trespassing for allegedly being on a property Oct. 8 in Hanoverton without permission and injuring another man during a confrontation.

— Jason Ryhal, 39, Cartwright Street, East Liverpool, fourth-degree felony domestic violence and fifth-degree felony strangulation for allegedly slamming a woman to the ground and slamming her head off of the floor while on the ground, then strangling her on Sept. 15 in East Liverpool.

— Robert Malecki, 57, Orwell, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs charge and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing 2.9 grams of methamphetamine after arriving on March 16 in East Palestine for an alleged arranged sexual encounter. He had responded to an undercover ad on a known escort website and set up the meeting for sexual activity in exchange for $200.

— Mark Knight, 24, Pinewood Drive, New Waterford, three fourth-degree felonies of assault and misdemeanors of obstructing official business, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for allegedly attempting multiple times to kick Salem police officers while pulling away after his arrest for being disorderly, then kicking officers from the back of an ambulance on Sept. 30 in Salem.

— Damien Clark, 25, Youngstown, third-degree felonies of tampering with evidence, trafficking in heroin, possession of heroin, trafficking in fentanyl-related compound, possession of fentanyl-related compound and fourth-degree felonies of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine, all with specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case for allegedly possessing $180 and possessing and preparing for sale heroin, fentanyl and cocaine on May 10, 2023.

— Sarah Graham, 20, East Main Street, East Palestine, fifth-degree felonies for aggravated possession drugs, possession of heroin, possession of fentanyl-related compound, and misdemeanor possession of drugs, along with specifications for forfeiture of money from a drug case, for allegedly possessing $800 and a loaded hypodermic syringe that contained methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and xylazine on June 21 in East Palestine.

— Jerrid Kotsch, 37, Elkton Road, Lisbon, third-degree felony having weapons under disability and misdemeanors of falsification, possession of drug abuse instrument and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Kotsch was being detained as a fugitive from justice and had a loaded firearm in a bag of clothing in the back of the truck in which he was a passenger on Sept. 17. He also possessed drug paraphernalia, multiple hypodermic needles and used someone else’s driver’s license when asked for ID.

— Michael Spencer, 36, Haessly Road, Hanoverton, fifth-degree felonies of possession of fentanyl-related compound, possession of cocaine, aggravated possession of drugs and possession of drugs for allegedly possessing methamphetamine, cocaine, xylazim and fentanyl on Oct. 4 in East Palestine.

— Todd Hawthorne, 41, Garner Avenue, East Liverpool, fourth-degree felony receiving stolen property for allegedly possessing a stolen motorcycle on Aug. 24 in East Liverpool.

— Andrew S. Brown, 40, Elmwood Drive, Lisbon, fifth-degree felony theft and misdemeanors of falsification and drug paraphernalia for allegedly stealing a cage-enclosed trailer on Sept. 8 in Salem and giving police a false name when approached, besides possessing paraphernalia.

— Jessie Endicott, 41, Georgetown Road, Beloit, charged with fifth-degree felony theft for allegedly stealing a cage-enclosed trailer on Sept. 8 in Salem.

— Dustin Dotson, 19, Warren, third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer for allegedly fleeing from Perry Township police attempting a traffic stop on Aug. 13 on U.S. Route 62 near Goshen Road.

— Timothy Curry, 49, Darlington, Pa., fourth-degree felony trespass for allegedly breaking into a woman’s East Palestine home on July 16.

— Miranda Marie Little, 29, Youngstown, fourth-degree felony receiving stolen property and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a burnt glass pipe and a stolen firearm during a traffic stop on Sept. 2 in St. Clair Township.

— Tia Miller, 34, Martin Avenue, East Liverpool, third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia for allegedly failing to stop during an attempted traffic stop by St. Clair Township Police on Oct. 1 and possessing a burnt glass pipe and crystal like substance in a pill bottle.

— Melissa Tamalonis, 31, Hookstown, Pa., third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanors of driving under suspension, obstructing official business and drug paraphernalia for allegedly concealing her wallet in her pants and refusing to give police her phone during a traffic stop on June 6 in St. Clair Township. She also allegedly hid narcotics on her person and threw suspected narcotics and paraphernalia in the back of the police cruiser.

— Todd Hawthorne, 41, Avondale, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Feb. 15.

— Dawn Acker, 45, Sunnyside Street, East Liverpool, third-degree felonies of two counts failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and endangering children and fourth-degree felony vehicular assault. Acker allegedly fled from a traffic stop on Sept. 30 in East Liverpool with a small child in the back of the vehicle and then crashing the vehicle into a house on Wyoming Avenue, causing injury to the child.

— Antonio Deleon, 30, Crestview Road, Columbiana, fourth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanors of resisting arrest and two counts disorderly conduct. Deleon allegedly caused physical harm to a man on Sept. 23 in Fairfield Township. In a separate matter, he allegedly bit a household member on the back and then during his arrest, he was banging his head off of the divider inside the cruiser multiple times and was uncooperative with officers at the county jail while being booked.

— Bradley Eltringham Jr., 37, Church Street, Salineville, fifth-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly striking a pregnant woman several times, including strikes to her abdomen, allegedly knowing she was pregnant on June 17 in Salineville.

— James L. Wilson, 57, Main Street, Wellsville, misdemeanor domestic violence, for allegedly grabbing a woman by the shoulder and shoving her into the back of a couch and threatening her during an argument Aug. 12 in Wellsville.

Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man accused of stealing a safe containing money, two loaded handguns and personal papers from an East Liverpool home a year ago was sentenced to prison this week.

Gage Gough, 29, Ambrose Avenue, East Liverpool, appeared Thursday in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court where he was given an indefinite prison term of two to three years for second-degree felony burglary, plus an additional 18 months for charges of third-degree felony grand theft when the property is a firearm or dangerous ordnance and fifth-degree felony theft, for a total minimum of three and a half years, with the possibility that the Ohio Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could tack on another year dependent on his behavior in prison.

Gough entered a guilty plea to the charges in September. He 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.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Peter Vroman, West Lincoln Way, Lisbon, vs Tetiana Vroman, Charlotte, N.C.; divorce sought.

Devon Smith, Sherwood Avenue, East Liverpool, and Jessey Smith, Georgetown, Pa.; dissolution sought.

Wilmington Savings Fund Society, Chicago, Ill., vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Harry Amelung, Sandy Creek Road, Minerva, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Pearlman Realty Inc.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Strader Road, East Liverpool property.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a case against Sara Noling, 37, Wood Street, East Palestine, was bound over to the county grand jury on third-degree felonies of trafficking in drugs and drug abuse and fourth-degree felony possession of drugs-fentanyl related compound for allegedly possessing fentanyl-related compound and methamphetamine during an incident in East Palestine on Aug. 9 when she appeared to be under the influence of a narcotic. A pretrial was set Jan. 16 for a charge of possession of drug abuse instrument related to the incident.

A case against Brian Randall Pearl, 54, East Clark Street, East Palestine, was bound over to the county grand jury for a fourth-degree felony attempted tampering with evidence charge. Pearl allegedly attempted to eat a fold which contained alleged fentanyl after it was removed from his pocket during a traffic stop and placed on the bed of his truck on Nov. 8 in East Palestine. During a scuffle while he was being placed under arrest, an officer’s body camera was ripped from his vest and broke when it hit the road. A pretrial was set Feb. 12 for possessing marijuana, traffic control devices and improper/expired registration.

A case against Robert Jennings, 63, Park Avenue, Salem, was dismissed Wednesday during a jury trial after Judge Katelyn Dickey granted the defendant’s motion for acquittal. Jennings had been charged with violation of a protection order for allegedly sending a message via social media to a protected person on Oct. 26, 2022 in Leetonia.

Justin Kernaich, 21, Monroe Avenue, Salem, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 162 days suspended and credit for 18 days served, for domestic violence. He was ordered to serve 20 hours community service. Kernaich had shoved a woman and grabbed her by the throat on Oct. 29 in Salem.

Skylar Stinard, 23, Hazel Street, Leetonia, was fined $400 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for two days served, for obstructing official business and disorderly conduct for being involved in a fight at Fernengel’s Tavern in Salem and fleeing on foot from police. She yelled profanities at officers and attempted to kick and pull away from them several times.

A probation violation hearing was set Nov. 27 for Jason Call, 30, Avondale Street, East Liverpool for a domestic violence charge from 2022.

A charge of criminal trespass was dismissed against Nolan Bloor, 43, Riverside Avenue, Wellsville, at the request of the prosecutor after a witness could not be located. Bloor had been accused of trespassing at an East Liverpool apartment in November 2022.

A pretrial was set Nov. 20 for Brenston Thompkins, 27, homeless, East Liverpool, charged with criminal trespass for trespassing on metropolitan housing authority property on Wilbert Avenue.

Johnathan Diegdio, 21, North Shadylane, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for disorderly conduct for fighting with another man during an incident in East Liverpool on Nov. 12.

Jonathan Johnson, 37, Tuttle, Okla., was fined $150 and sentenced to one day in jail, with credit for one day served, for drug paraphernalia for possessing a glass meth pipe during a traffic stop on Aug. 4, 2019 in Salem.

A pretrial was set Feb. 27 for Darrin Harsh Sr., 57, Southeast Boulevard, Salem, charged with litter for allegedly having junk, debris and tires at a property in East Liverpool on June 1.

Lucas Keck, 28, Diagonal Road, Salem, was fined $850 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended and credit for two days served for failure to stop after an accident, failure to control, driving under suspension, marked lanes, failure to comply and driving while texting. His driver’s license was suspended for a year and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Donald Allgood, 35, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $250 and sentenced to 17 days in jail, with credit for 17 days served, for disorderly conduct and possession of drug abuse instrument for an overdose incident on Nov. 28, 2018 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Feb. 8 for Caitlyn Haught, 33, West Washington Street, Lisbon, charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs first offense, OVI breath first offense and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set Feb. 26 for David Vallera, 59, Wood Street, Wellsville, charged with OVI first offense, OVI breath first offense and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set Feb. 8 for Summer Felker, 30, McCracken Road, Salem, charged with possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing marijuana drug paraphernalia on Nov. 8 in Salem.

Robert Bobby Jr., 19, state Route 558, Leetonia, was fined $75 for driving under suspension.

Justin Cornell, 26, Columbia Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $230 for speeding and no seat belt.

Matthew Hoory, 38, Chicago, Ill., was fined $125 for red light or red flag on extended loads, amended from speeding.

A pretrial was set Jan. 2 for Robert Kennedy, 25, Washington Street, Salineville, charged with use of unauthorized plate, failure to display valid sticker, possession of marijuana and two counts driving under suspension.

A charge of improper/expired registration was dismissed against Ky’liah Finger, 24, Youngstown.

A pretrial was set Feb. 12 for Chad Vodhanel, 47, Boardman, charged with driving under suspension and failure to stop after an accident.

Kory Flowers, 32, Hanover Road, Salineville, was fined $500 for marked lanes, two counts driving under suspension and driving while texting.

Melissa Taylor, 67, Brighton Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $250 for speeding.