LISBON — An East Palestine man accused of cruelty to animals for killing a woman’s dog in 2022 was sentenced to nine months in prison.

Derek Craig, 51, Lotze Drive, appeared for sentencing recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

He had entered a guilty plea last fall to cruelty to companion animals, a fifth-degree felony, third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanor obstructing official business. A misdemeanor charge of cruelty to companion animals was dismissed. He received credit for 11 days already served in jail.

Craig was accused of shooting a woman’s chihuahua/miniature pinscher puppy with a shotgun on Sept. 11, 2022, with deputies finding a pink tote containing the deceased dog off of Hadley Road. The defendant admitted to shooting the dog with a 20-gauge shotgun and tossing the shotgun off of the road in an undisclosed location, an affidavit said.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Joshua Gorby, 48, South Market Street, East Palestine, pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated arson, a third-degree felony, and misdemeanors of domestic violence and endangering children, with sentencing set for April 4. Gorby was accused of threatening to burn down his South Market Street home after pouring gasoline around the perimeter during a lightning-laden thunderstorm June 15. Through the investigation, police learned the defendant allegedly poured gasoline around the back of the home, on the back porch and in the detached garage. He then went into the home and evacuated a child, advising her he was going to burn the house down. The affidavit noted the incident took place during a thunderstorm and the lightning strikes could have ignited the gasoline. Charges of possessing criminal tools and a second count of attempted aggravated arson will be dismissed. The criminal tools included a 5-gallon gas can and a lighter.

— Dawn Acker, 45, Sunnyside Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to third-degree felonies of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and endangering children and fourth-degree felony vehicular assault, with sentencing set for March 28. 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 crashed the vehicle into a house on Wyoming Avenue, causing injury to the child. A second count for failure to comply will be dismissed.

— Kristopher Simpson, 29, state Route 7, New Waterford, was sentenced to nine months in prison for third-degree felony intimidation, fourth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanors of resisting arrest, obstructing official business and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs (OVI). He also received a mandatory fine of $375 and his driver’s license was suspended for one year. Simpson was accused of making threats against a Salem police officer while on the way to the jail after resisting arrest and refusing orders of police during his arrest for traffic charges on May 14 in Salem. The domestic violence charge stemmed from him physically assaulting a pregnant woman on April 10 in Salem.

— Matthew L. Withers, 35, Steubenville, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense fourth-degree felony attempted compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted illegal sexual conduct with a minor, and fifth-degree felony importuning, with sentencing set for March 28. A charge of possessing criminal tools will be dismissed. Matthew L. Withers was accused of requesting sexual conduct from an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female in exchange for $120, then coming to Salem with his phone on April 8, 2023 for the meeting.

— David Gamble, 34, Park Place, East Liverpool, was ordered examined by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio for competency to stand trial for fifth-degree felonies of breaking and entering, vandalism and possessing criminal tools and misdemeanors of theft, criminal trespass and three counts criminal damaging. A status conference was set for April 4. On Nov. 29, 2023, Gamble was allegedly located on the third floor of the Kent State University building in East Liverpool, along with an ax used to break the glass door to make entry. On Nov. 24, 2023 he was seen on video inside Nikki’s Market in East Liverpool and bent the fan blades on the air conditioning unit.

— Dominic Stacey, 37, East Perry Street, Salem, was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilt to nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to pay child support for one child from May 31, 2020 to May 29, 2022. He received credit for 29 days served in jail. The sentence was ordered served at the same time as the nine-month term he received earlier this month for fourth-degree felony domestic violence, with credit for 59 days served. Stacey was accused of punching a woman in the head multiple times and pushing her to the ground on June 23, 2022 in Lisbon.

— Sarah Drye, 35, Kelly Park Road, Columbiana, was ordered to serve 365 days in the county jail, with credit for 269 days served, leaving a balance of 96 days still to serve, for violating her probation for tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony, and aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Her probation was dishonorably terminated. The tampering charge stemmed from April 3, 2021 and the drug charge was for possessing methamphetamine on Feb 3, 2022.