Trending
LISBON -- In Columbiana County Municipal Court, two more East Palestine residents were charged for allegedly cheating Norfolk Southern out of funds with falsified records.
A preliminary hearing was set Jan. 8 for Scott Andrew Meyer, 47, East North Avenue, East Palestine, charged with fourth-degree felonies of theft and falsification and fifth-degree felony forgery for allegedly falsifying and forging a signature on a claimed condominium lease agreement, which he used to secure $16,500 reimbursement from Norfolk Southern for alleged relocation after the train derailment in East Palestine.
The condominium was actually a strip mall in Mount Vernon that housed an ambulance company that was shut down and used for storage. Meyer worked for the ambulance company and there was no lease agreement and the landlord listed wasn't known to the property owner. The fictitious landlord listed a closed ambulance building in Warren as an address. Meyer then presented a second lease agreement with a different person listed as landlord who worked for the company and confirmed it wasn't his signature and he wasn't aware of any lease agreement. The phone number listed was Meyer's juvenile son's number.
A preliminary hearing was set Nov. 20 for Juston Buskirk, 44, West Martin Street, East Palestine, charged with fifth-degree felonies of theft and two counts violate temporary protection order. His bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety and he was ordered to stay away from the victim. Buskirk allegedly filed a claim at the Norfolk Southern assistance center claiming he resided with a woman in East Palestine, that they were married and had four children when he didn't live in East Palestine, wasn't married to the woman and did not have four children. He received a check for $707 on Feb. 11 for lodging, food and child care, a check for $6,000 on Feb. 14 for relief for himself, the woman and four children and a check for $171 on Feb. 22 for incidental expenses. In April, he allegedly traveled to Washington State and met the woman who rented a car and billed Norfolk Southern for six days, then left the car with Buskirk who provided it to another woman. The car was reported stolen on April 25. On Nov. 7 and 9, Buskirk was taken into custody for being at an East Palestine residence where he's not allowed around the woman, in violation of a protection order.
Also in county Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set Nov. 20 for Brenston Tompkins, 28, Newton Falls, charged with third-degree felonies of soliciting with positive HIV and tampering with evidence, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution. Tompkins responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged to have sexual acts with a female in exchange for methamphetamine, traveling to East Palestine for the meeting Nov. 11. Tompkins was HIV positive and had HIV medicine in his possession.
A preliminary hearing was set Nov. 20 for Drewskavious McKinney, 35, Orchard Grove Road, East Liverpool, charged with fourth-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly striking a woman in the head with his fist on Nov. 10 in East Liverpool.
Krista Perline, 36, East Main Street, East Palestine, was fined $400 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended and credit for 11 days served, leaving 19 days to serve in jail for assault and obstructing official business, amended from obstructing justice. She was also ordered to perform 40 hours community service and have no contact with the victim. She was accused of assaulting a man with a wooden piece of trim, fake sleeping when police came to the residence and knocked and also hid the weapon on Oct. 29 in East Palestine.
A pretrial was set Feb. 1 for Korey Alan Barr, 28, Chestnut Street, Leetonia, charged with domestic violence for allegedly striking a woman in the head during a domestic situation on Nov. 11 in Leetonia.
A pretrial was set Jan. 29 for Michael Vasvari, 40, Hubbard, charged with engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual conduct with a female in exchange for $120 and narcotics, arriving in East Palestine on Aug. 26 for the meeting. He allegedly possessed a glass crack cocaine pipe.
Jennifer Hupp, 35, Canton, was fined $450 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for advertising massage services, possessing criminal tools and soliciting. She was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and an online 12-hour prostitution prevention course. During an undercover sex sting, Hupp offered sex activities and nude massage to an undercover agent in exchange for $400, traveling to Salem on July 12 for the meeting.
A pretrial was set Feb. 26 for Mike Hollosy, 57, Coventry Township, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly requesting sexual conduct with an undercover agent in exchange for $140 and traveling to Salem on Nov. 11 for the meeting.
A pretrial was set Feb. 1 for Chia-wei Chang, 32, Renton, Wash., charged with engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and improper/expired registration for allegedly responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $140, traveling to East Palestine on Nov. 12 for the meeting.
Christopher Ray Romig, 55, Bowerston, was fined $750 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for possessing criminal tools and disorderly conduct, amended from engaging in prostitution. He was ordered to forfeit $400 to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force and permitted to buy out 40 hours community service for $400. He also had to complete a 12-hour online prostitution prevention course. On March 15, he drove to Salem to meet an undercover agent for sexual conduct in exchange for $400.
Ariann Russell, 22, High Street, Leetonia, was fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 29 days suspended and credit for one day served, for disorderly conduct, amended from endangering a child. She was also ordered to complete 40 hours community service. During a verbal fight with another woman on Elm Street, Leetonia on March 21, Russell threw a car seat to the ground with a 1-year-old child in the car seat.
Miranda Forbes, 29, Independence Square, Wellsville, was fined $200 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for endangering children. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Forbes was accused of having drugs in her apartment, causing a risk to two children on May 12.
Joshua Friley, 35, New Cumberland, W.Va., was fined $200 for theft for failing to scan and pay for 17 items totaling $97 at the Calcutta Walmart on July 21.
A pretrial was set Dec. 19 for Collan Craig, 23, state Route 534, Salem, charged with assault for allegedly striking a man with his fist while in the presence of a deputy investigating a disturbance at a property on Georgetown Road, North Georgetown, Knox Township on Aug. 20.
A pretrial was set Nov. 30 for Brigit Young, 54, Hawley Avenue, East Liverpool, for two counts of theft for allegedly stealing $701 from the office of the Feed & Sing on state Route 14 outside Washingtonville after going to get her last paycheck on June 21. She was also allegedly observed putting three steaks and two bags of shrimp into her jacket at the Salem Giant Eagle on Oct. 19, 2022 without paying for the items.
A pretrial was set Feb. 20 for Jakob Hendricks, 34, Cherry Street, Washingtonville, charged with three counts of theft for allegedly failing to pay for $326 worth of items at the Salem Walmart on Dec. 31, 2021, and allegedly attempting to alter a woman's personal checks in Washingtonville on May 15.
A pretrial was set Feb. 22 for Phillip Cline, 50, West Wilson Street, Salem, charged with theft for allegedly fleeing the Ace Hardware in St. Clair Township after stealing a chainsaw on March 17.
Arthur Gingher, 53, Petersburg, was fined $350 and sentenced to three days in jail, with credit for three days served, for possession of a schedule 4 substance for possessing buprenorphine on Aug. 24 in East Palestine.
Ryan Thompson, 41, Jennings Avenue, Salem, was fined $200 and sentenced to 11 days in jail, with credit for 11 days served, for two counts of criminal trespass for trespassing at a Salem residence on July 15 and refusing to leave a mental health facility in Lisbon on Aug. 24.
Sally Jo Stanley, 57, Leslie Road, Lisbon, was fined $200 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for criminal trespass. A charge of menacing was dismissed. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and was told to stay away from the victim. On May 16, Stanley drove up to the victim's residence, swearing at her and yelling at her, accusing her of reporting her to the dog warden's office for a loose dog. She also allegedly left her a note and later drove onto the property again up close to the victim who was on her riding lawn mower.
A pretrial was set Nov. 27 for Brandy Wiggins, Steubenville, charged with possession of drug abuse instruments and drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing syringes, a burnt glass pipe and cut straw with white residue, along with other items on Nov. 10 in St. Clair Township.
Ryan Armstrong, 39, Depot Road, Salem, was fined $150 and sentenced to five days in jail, with credit for three day served, for criminal trespass for being at The Foundry on South Broadway in Salem on Nov. 11 after he had been trespassed from the establishment.
A pretrial was set Nov. 27 for Ariel Durham, 34, East Eighth Street, Salem, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing at a Bank Street, Salem property on Nov. 9.
An obstructing official business charge was dismissed against Michael Hipsley, 30, North Pearl Street, Columbiana, at the request of the prosecutor due to evidentiary issues. The charge stemmed from a traffic stop on Jan. 16 in Columbiana.
A pretrial was set Nov. 27 for George Moore, 51, Follansbee, W.Va., charged with driving under suspension, drug paraphernalia and marked lanes for allegedly possessing drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop Nov. 10 in St. Clair Township.
A charge of lighted lights was dismissed against Merrissa Wedlake, 26, Richmond.
Beau Manley, 40, Wood Street, East Palestine, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.
A pretrial was set Nov. 27 for Nathan Knight, 39, North Market Street, East Palestine, charged with driving under suspension, failure to dim headlights and possession of a drug abuse instrument for allegedly possessing hypodermic needles during a traffic stop in Lisbon on Nov. 10.
Joseph Walters, 40, Faulk Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $150 and given a 30-day jail suspension for drug paraphernalia.
A pretrial was set Feb. 13 for Clayton Schafer, 22, Poland, charged with speeding in a school zone.
A pretrial was set Feb. 5 for Kage Mosti, 24, Hammondsville, charged with driving under suspension, forfeiture and unsafe vehicle.