LISBON — An Akron man sentenced to 36 months in prison after a jury found him guilty of compelling prostitution and possessing criminal tools filed an appeal this week to challenge his conviction.

The case was filed in the Seventh District Court of Appeals on behalf of Randall Wayne Keirns, 58, Akron, who was also deemed a Tier II sexual offender required to verify his address with the sheriff’s office of the county where he resides.

A charge of engaging in prostitution, a misdemeanor, had been dismissed by the prosecution prior to the jury trial in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court before Judge Megan Bickerton.

On July 1, 2021, Keirns was accused of attempting to hire an undercover officer he believed to be a 16-year-old girl for sex, agreeing to pay $180 and making the arrangements on his phone, then traveling to East Palestine for the meeting.

In Common Pleas Court:

— Wilbert Faulk, 64, Youngstown, was sentenced to seven months in prison after pleading guilty to breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, with credit for 46 days served in jail. The charge stemmed from a June 19 break-in at an unoccupied residence.

— James Merino, 66, Benton Road, Salem, was placed on probation for three years, but required to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center for third-degree felonies of tampering with evidence and having weapons under disability, fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine, aggravated possession of drugs and two counts possession of drugs and a misdemeanor obstructing official business charge. The charges stemmed from a search of his residence on Aug. 12, 2021 by the county Drug Task Force. The drugs involved included cocaine, methamphetamine, buprenorphine and alprazolam. He was barred from possessing guns due to a 1984 drug conviction, but multiple weapons were seized during the search.

— Stacie Saracco, 33, 18th Street, Wellsville, had her probation dishonorably terminated for violations and was ordered to serve 365 days in jail, with credit for 218 days served, leaving a balance of 147 days still to serve for possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony. Saracco possessed heroin on June 26, 2021.

— Ryan Williams, 42, Allison Street, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve 270 days in the county jail, with credit for 215 days served, leaving a balance of 55 days yet to serve for violating his probation for possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. His probation was dishonorably terminated. He possessed methamphetamine on April 12, 2017.

— Sherri Lanam, 35, Ravine Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to nine months in prison for aggravated possession of drugs, possession of cocaine and possession of fentanyl-related compound, all fifth-degree felonies, for possessing methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl on March 12, 2022.

— Lance Richardson, 35, Alliance, was placed on probation for 18 months after pleading guilty to nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to pay child support for one child from July 1, 2021 to July 9, 2023.

— Nicholas Faulk, 34, Aten Avenue, Wellsville, was ordered to serve 75 days in the county jail, with credit for 32 days served, leaving a balance of 43 days yet to serve for violating his probation for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. His intervention plan was dishonorably terminated. Faulk possessed crack cocaine on June 24, 2017.

— Brandon Budd, 36, Culpepper, Va., pleaded guilty to a lesser offense fourth-degree attempted compelling prostitution and fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, with sentencing set for Feb. 8. Charges of possessing criminal tools and engaging in prostitution will be dismissed. Budd answered an undercover online ad for an adult female and a 15-year-old juvenile and arranged for sexual activity with both in exchange for $180, arriving in East Palestine on Feb. 2 for the meeting.

— No more than $1,500 was approved for a defense motion for funds to pay for a second evaluation of the sanity of Amberlina N. Gentsy, 29, Monaca, Pa., 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 in April 2021.

— Alex Fluharty, 33, West Main Street, Washingtonville, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, with sentencing set for March 1, for possessing psilocyn on Jan. 12, 2022.

— Brenda Lee Diamond, 58, Commerce Street, Wellsville, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony counterfeiting for passing a counterfeit $100 bill at Peps Market in Wellsville on July 11. Sentencing was set for Feb. 1.

— Shaun Uscianowski, 45, West 16th St., Salem, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and two counts of fifth-degree felony possession of drugs, with sentencing set for Feb. 22. Uscianowski was accused of possessing $22, an amount of methamphetamine equal or greater than bulk amount but less than five times the bulk amount, buprenorphine, THC, MDMA, methamphetamine and clonazepam. The charges stemmed from a drug raid by the Columbiana County Drug Task Force and Salem police at his home on May 17, 2022.