Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Ryan Kapp, Cape Coral, Fla.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Walnut Street, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Legacy Christian Home Health Care LLC, North Lima, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Lisbon Street, Leetonia property.

Danielle Bailey, South Lincoln Avenue, Salem, and Travis Bailey, Teegarden Road, Salem; dissolution sought.

Michelle Schuler, East Eighth Street, East Liverpool, vs. Daniel Schuler, Struthers; divorce sought.

Kathy Barnes, Cannons Mill Road, East Liverpool, vs. Donald Barnes, Covington Drive, East Liverpool; divorce sought.

Automotive Credit Corporation, Cincinnati, vs. Z-Mac Motors LLC, West State Street, and Scott McLaughlin, Ridge Road, Salem; collection sought of alleged $52,077 debt.

Docket Entries

U.S. Bank National Association vs. Relina Hinerman, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Commerce Street, Wellsville property.

Aveyah Cline vs. Rubert Cline; divorce granted.

Vanessa Pope vs. Nicolas Pope; divorce granted.

Joshua Hogue and Jenna Jackson; dissolution granted.

Grand Jury

LISBON — A Wellsville man whose vehicle allegedly traveled left of center and struck another vehicle head-on last year, injuring a woman and her three grandchildren is now facing multiple felony charges.

Thomas Trevor, 72, Fife Coal Road, was served recently with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for four counts each of third-degree felony aggravated vehicular assault and fourth-degree felony vehicular assault, along with two misdemeanor counts of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs or a combination of both.

The charges all stem from the Feb. 14, 2023 traffic crash that occurred on Fife Coal Road in Yellow Creek Township. According to a previous published report about the accident handled by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a Chevy Silverado driven by Trevor traveled left of center and struck a vehicle driven by Sally Lykens, Salineville, injuring Lykens and her three grandchildren who were passengers, ages 1, 3 and 5 years old at the time. Trevor was also injured.

A civil lawsuit filed by Lykens against Trevor and others in August 2023 over the accident remains pending in county Common Pleas Court.

Other secret indictments served recently included:

— Phillip Norfleet, 21, Cora Street, East Liverpool, fourth-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a child victim who was 14 years old at the time when the sexual conduct began from Sept. 23, 2022 to Sept. 23, 2023.

— Jamilla Cameron, 26, Sophia Street, East Liverpool, endangering children, a third-degree felony, for allegedly violating a duty of care for a child victim just a little over a month old on Dec. 15, 2021, resulting in serious physical harm to the child.

— David Lindner, 52, Enon Valley, Pa., aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing dexmethylphenidate on Sept. 8, 2020.

— Angel Dawn Post, 50, West Lincoln Way, Lisbon, fifth-degree felony trafficking in cocaine and two counts fourth-degree felony trafficking in cocaine for allegedly possessing cocaine in an amount less than 5 grams on Oct. 18, 2019 and an amount of cocaine equal or exceeding 5 grams but less than 10 grams on Oct. 17, 2019 and Oct. 30, 2019.

— Robert Freeman, 52, Philadelphia, Pa., two counts nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly failing to pay child support for two children from May 15, 2020 to May 13, 2022.

— Matthew Marshall, 23, South Union Avenue, Salem, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Aug. 27, 2023.

— Dillon Corfee, 23, Austintown, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Aug 27, 2023.

— Mark Coleman, 56, Y & O Road, East Liverpool, possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing cocaine on July 24, 2022.

— Jamie Tice Jr., 23, Malone Road, Salineville, harassment with a bodily substance, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly throwing or expelling a bodily substance at a corrections officer at the Columbiana County jail while there as an inmate on Jan. 26.

Court News

LISBON — A Canton man accused of threatening a woman and allegedly attempting to set a child on fire was ordered evaluated for competency and sanity.

Matthew S. Jackson, 23, was indicted earlier this year for felonious assault, a second-degree felony, first-degree felony aggravated arson and two counts of misdemeanor aggravated menacing for the Dec. 30, 2023 incident.

Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton granted a defense motion and ordered the evaluation by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio for competency to stand trial and plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

According to an affidavit filed in county Municipal Court in the case against Jackson, he allegedly shot out a woman’s window at her house in Liverpool Township on Dec. 30 with a BB gun, became aggressive and threatened to punch her in the back of the head and kill her, then took out a torch lighter and allegedly attempted to set a 3-month-old child on fire, continuing to threaten the woman before he ran out the door.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Brandon Maxwell, 24, Mechanicsburg, Pa., was ordered to spend 75 days in the county jail and was placed on community control for four years for attempted compelling prostitution and attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, both fourth-degree felonies. Charges of fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution were dismissed. Maxwell was designated a Tier II sex offender requiring him to register his address with law enforcement. Maxwell was accused of soliciting sexual conduct from an online undercover ad placed by an agent for a mother and her 15-year-old daughter in exchange for $220, arriving in East Palestine for the meeting on Feb. 27, 2023.

— Robert Arnold, 51, Smithfield Street, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is completed after he violated the terms of his treatment plan for community control for a charge of possession of cocaine. His community control will continue. He was accused of possessing cocaine on Oct. 2, 2021.

— Edward Bailey, 40, Allison Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony burglary and third-degree felony grand theft when the property is a firearm or dangerous ordnance, with sentencing set for June 21. Bailey was accused of stealing a firearm on Nov. 3, 2020.

— Jamie Short Rambo, 36, Lower Elkton Road, Columbiana, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, possession of heroin, possession of fentanyl-related compound and two counts possession of drugs, all fifth-degree felonies, with sentencing set for May 10. On April 25, 2023, Rambo possessed cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, xylazine and tramadol.

— Alexander Morlan, 26, New Middletown, was placed on community control, probation, for three years after pleading guilty to failure to provide notice of change of address. He was accused of failing to provide the sheriff’s office with his change of address on Oct. 12, 2023, which was required since he’s a registered sex offender.

— Jaron Lewis, 29, Youngstown, was ordered to spend 24 days in the county jail for violating the terms of his probation for aggravated possession of drugs and possession of drugs. His community control was dishonorably terminated for violations and he was sentenced to 240 days in the county jail, with credit for 216 days already served, leaving the balance of 24 days to serve. Lewis possessed tramadol and benzodiazepine on Feb. 28, 2020.

— Shawn Tremain, 32, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, was ordered to spend three days in the county jail for violating the terms of his community control for two separate cases. His community control will continue. The charge in one case involved aggravated possession of drugs for possessing methamphetamine on April 10, 2021. The other case involved possession of cocaine and aggravated possession of drugs for possessing methamphetamine and cocaine on Nov. 1, 2019.

— Gary Smith, 63, Warren, was placed on community control for 12 months after pleading guilty to attempted possession of cocaine and attempted possession of fentanyl-related compound, both misdemeanors, for attempting to to possess cocaine and fentanyl on Jan. 18, 2023.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a case against William Wolfe, 49, El Reno, Okla., was bound over to the county grand jury, for charges of third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools, and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution. Wolfe allegedly responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged to have sexual conduct with an adult female and a 15-year-old juvenile in exchange for money, using the cell phone found in his possession to make the arrangements, in East Palestine on Feb. 3.

A case against Nathen Wiseman, 33, homeless, Lisbon, was bound over to the county grand jury for one charge of fourth-degree felony failure to verify residence address for allegedly failing to verify his address, with the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 20, 2023, as a tier II sex offender for his sexual conduct with a minor in Ohio in 2012.

A case against Jasper Mountz, 40, Fair Avenue, Salem, was bound over to the county grand jury for charges of fourth-degree felony burglary and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly entering an attached garage in Salem without permission. He fled into the woods and only stopped when a K-9 unit was deployed. Mountz was allegedly found with a “baggie for the storage of dangerous drugs” in his right front coin pocket, according to the affadavit.

Mark Thompson, 64, Beaver Falls, Pa., was fined $500 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 89 days suspended and credit for one day served, leaving zero days left to serve, for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual conduct with a female in exchange for $50, using the flip phone found in his possession to make the arrangements, in East Palestine on Jan. 3.

Jeffrey Dills, 48, Norton, was fined $750 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 90 days suspended, leaving zero days left to serve, for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual conduct with an undercover agent in exchange for $100, using the cell phone found in his possession to make the arrangements, in Salem on Aug. 22, 2022.

A pretrial was set March 25 for Corey Cantwell, 25, Creek Road, New Waterford, charged with assault and obstructing official business for allegedly slamming a woman to the ground and punching her in the face, and then taking her phone so she could not call 911, and then fleeing the scene, in East Palestine on Sunday.

A court trial is set March 18 for Brian Hebb, 50, McCalla Street, East Palestine, charged with two counts of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs- first offense, OVI second offense, OVI refusal- first offense, forfeiture, improper/expired registration, possession of drugs, driving under suspension/restriction, driving under suspended license for failing to appear or pay fine or for default in payment of child support, four counts of driving under OVI suspension, and use of unauthorized plate, stemming from several traffic stops in the past two years.

Stephen Thomas, 36, Carrol Street, East Liverpool, was fined $300 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended, leaving 30 days left to serve, for aggravated menacing for pulling a gun on a woman in the Calcutta Walmart parking lot on May 26, 2023. Thomas told the woman as she was backing out of a parking spot that she had hit his vehicle and then told her he was making a citizen’s arrest as he pulled a .44 caliber muzzle loader revolver on her and told her to give him the keys or he would shoot her. A charge of unlawful restraint was dismissed. Thomas was also ordered to perform 20 hours of community service.

A pretrial was set June 4 for Laurie Harmon, 48, East Martin Street, East Palestine, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly knowingly causing a substantial risk to the health and welfare of a juvenile she had foster care of and direct loco parentis by refusing to allow emergency medical services (EMS) to provide treatment and transport after the juvenile said they were going to kill themselves at a home in East Palestine on Sunday. The juvenile left the house in minimal clothing in 29 degree weather to seek out a police officer. Harmon allegedly followed the juvenile in her car, recording them, but did not call 911.

Tara Montgomery, 23, Chester, W. Va., was fined $150 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 90 days suspended, leaving zero days left to serve, for theft for failing to scan and pay for 11 items totaling $71.22 at the Calcutta Walmart on March 23, 2023. Montgomery was also ordered to perform 20 hours of community service.

Wilbert Faulk, 64, Youngstown, was sentenced to 10 days in jail, with zero days suspended, for theft, criminal mischief, and discarding litter for rummaging through a woman’s belongings on her porch in East Liverpool and taking an American flag from the porch on Sept. 22, 2023 and dumping trash on the street in East Liverpool on Aug. 22, 2023.

A pretrial was set June 20 for Jenessa Mathias, 29, East Rochester, charged with OVI- second offense and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set June 6 for Tonia Gearin, 43, West Washington Street, Lisbon, charged with driving under suspension- license forfeiture/violator compact/child support.

Robert Armstrong, 39, Depot Road, Salem, was fined $50 and sentenced to nine days in jail, with credit for nine days served, leaving zero days left to serve, for criminal trespass for coming onto the porch and opening the door of a residence belonging to a person who did not know him in Salem on Dec. 4, 2023.

Christian Chappell, was fined $1,500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 160 days suspended, leaving 20 days left to serve, for OVI- second offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years, headlights, and weapons while intoxicated. Chappell’s driver’s license was also suspended for two years with no privileges and he was ordered to perform 20 hours of community service.

A charge of housing code violation buildings and structures was dismissed against Brian Brooks, age not listed, Vine Street, East Liverpool, with stipulation to probable cause and agreement to pay.

Amanda Schmelick, 37, Boardman, was fined $925 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served upon completion of a driver intervention program (DIP), leaving zero days left to serve, for OVI- first offense and marked lanes. Charges of driver under OVI suspension and marked lanes were dismissed. Her driver’s license was also suspended for one year with privileges and she was ordered to complete 20 hours of community service.

Jordan Stack, 25, Greensburg, Pa., was fined $980 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served upon completion of a driver intervention program (DIP), leaving zero days left to serve, for physical control– amended from OVI- first offense– reasonable control, and seat belt.

A pretrial was set May 6 for Laureene Allison, 52, Alice Street, East Palestine, charged with OVI- first offense, distracted driving, and violating turn signals.

Toni Pappas, 47, Chester Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $920 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served upon completion of a driver intervention program (DIP), leaving zero days left to serve, for OVI- first offense and failure to dim headlights.

A pretrial was set June 4 for Karen Ann Runkles, 41, East High Street, East Palestine, charged with falsification for allegedly lying about striking her child at Subway in East Palestine on March 2. Officers reviewed the security footage, which allegedly shows Runkles striking the child in the mouth.

Harleigh Crawford, 21, Wilburt Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and sentenced to 13 days in jail, with credit for 13 days served, leaving zero days left to serve, for drug abuse instrument and two counts of drug paraphernalia.

Jonathan Perez, was fined $150 and sentenced to two days in jail, with credit for two days served, leaving zero days left to serve, for illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

A pretrial was set May 6 for Michael Johnson, 46, Broadway, Wellsville, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly being found with two rolled up $1 bills with white powder residue during a traffic stop in St. Clair Township on March 4.

A pretrial was set March 26 for Jayvon Howell, 52, Alliance, charged with driving under financial responsibility law suspension.

Alexander Johnson, 24, Pittsburgh, Pa., was fined $150 for speed.

Lloyd Rayfield Walker, 45, Alliance, was fined $295 for driving under suspension/restriction and improper/expired registration.

Adam Tawney, 21, Youngstown, was fined $250 for speed, amended from equipment violation, and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.

Tyler Heffner, was fined $100 for no driver’s license and failure to yield right of way.

Puphinder Singh, 68, Warren, was fined $100 for unsafe vehicle, amended from stop sign.

Timothy Halfhill, 51, Rankin Street, Wellsville, was fined $250 for driving under financial responsibility suspension.

Glenda Haught, 55, Idaho Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for speed.

Jeno Atkins, 28, Steubenville, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

Derrick Smith, 27, Y and O Road, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for unsafe vehicle, amended from speed.

Brandon Wright, 39, Niles, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.