Common Pleas

New Cases

Brenda Gremba, North Market Street, East Palestine, vs. Daniel Gremba, state Route 14, East Palestine; divorce sought.

Jonathan Willis, Walnut Street, Rogers, vs. Amanda Willis, Georgetown, Pa.; divorce sought.

DCP Operating Company, LP, Denver, Colo. vs. Hunter Leigh, Spinnaker Court, Columbiana; collection sought of $24,121 settlement debt.

Jessica Walters, Youngstown, vs. Margaret McGurren, Chester, W.Va., et al.; damages for personal injury claim from 2022 traffic accident.

Docket Entries

Ohio Edison Company vs. Amanda Coy; $15,328 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Capital One N.A. vs. Jennifer Rose; $15,468 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Citibank vs. Joseph Kelly; $19,837 judgment granted to plaintiff.

County Treasurer vs. Claude McFadden; payment plan entered, case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. Eric Gustafson; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Gayle Hvizdak; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. estate of Paul Geiger, et al; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. Lois Glover, et al.; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. Dean Smith Jr., et al; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. OHRE LLC; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. Badfrogs, Inc., et al.; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. White Crown Property Management Ltd.; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. Riverview Equity LLC, et al.; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. James Conrad, et al.; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. Greg Dray; stay lifted, case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. Shawn Sanchez, et al.; stay lifted, case reactivated.

Court News

LISBON — A Lisbon man accused of drug charges was ordered to prison for an indefinite term of four to six years, plus an additional six months for a separate case.

Chad Brewer, 41, Pritchard Avenue, Lisbon, appeared for sentencing recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for second-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and third-degree felony tampering with evidence for possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times the bulk amount, but less than 50 times the bulk amount and for tampering with evidence on July 18, 2021.

He received credit for 168 days already served in jail and was given a mandatory fine of $7,500.

The sentence was four to six years for the drug charge and 18 months for the tampering charge, both to be served at the same time.

He also pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on May 30, 2023, accounting for the six-month prison term which must be served consecutive to the other term.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Bryan Adams, 27, Kingwood, W.Va., pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felonies of importuning and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a lesser offense from a fourth-degree felony of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, with sentencing set for June 13. Charges of compelling prostitution and possessing criminal tools will be dismissed. He was accused of requesting sexual conduct from an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female in exchange for $140 and traveling to Salem on July 6, 2023 for the meeting.

— Clarence Owens, 60, New Cumberland, W.Va., pleaded guilty to gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony, with sentencing set for June 13. Owens was accused of sexual contact with a child victim, age 5 years old, on May 22, 2023.

— Amberlina N. Gentsy, 29, Monaca, Pa., was found competent but her sanity at the time of the offenses was ordered evaluated, with a status hearing set for June 4. Gentsy was 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 a chase with deputies in April 2021.

— Patrick Griffith, 44, Warren, was ordered to prison for nine months for violating his community control for three counts nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony. He received credit for 29 days served in jail. He was accused of failing to pay child support for two children from Feb. 16, 2020 to Feb. 12, 2022 and for failing to pay support for one person from May 14, 2020 to May 12, 2022.

— David Crowe, 39, Riffle Road, New Waterford, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony attempted tampering with evidence and misdemeanor obstructing official business, with sentencing set for June 27. Crowe was accused of providing a false name and social security number to East Liverpool police officers during a traffic stop on Jan. 8 in East Liverpool. A small circular container was found in his coat pocket and while being handcuffed, he allegedly grabbed the container off the hood of the cruiser, attempting to conceal the evidence.

— Bobbie J. Puz, 33, Alliance, was placed on probation under community control for four years and ordered to serve two days in jail for fourth-degree felony assault and misdemeanor patient endangerment. Puz was accused of causing or attempting to cause physical harm to a functionally impaired person on July 9, 2023 while serving as a developmental disabilities caretaker.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a jury found Charles L. Payne II, 43, Park Boulevard, East Liverpool, guilty of assault, domestic violence and aggravated menacing.

Visiting Judge Robert Lavery, who was appointed to handle this case, fined him $500 and sentenced him to 180 days in jail, with 169 days suspended and credit for one day served, leaving a balance of 10 days to serve in jail. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Execution of the jail sentence was stayed pending notice of appeal and pending the posting of an appellate bond of $30,000 cash or surety or 10 percent.

The aggravated menacing and domestic violence charges against Payne alleged he threatened a woman and made the woman’s relative believe he would cause serious physical harm to her and others, threatening to shoot them all on Dec. 30, 2023 in East Liverpool. He later on the same day pushed a 76-year-old victim aside in an aggressive manner during a disturbance at an East Palestine residence after he followed the woman from East Liverpool into West Virginia, then to East Palestine.

Also in county Municipal Court, a case against Crystal Rae Hoskinson, 32, North Lundy Avenue, Salem, was bound over to the county grand jury for fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property for allegedly possessing and attempting to cash stolen checks on Jan. 27 and Jan. 30. The checks were located during a traffic stop Feb. 24 in Salem, with the owner contacted. He said the checks were stolen from his residence in Salem.

A preliminary hearing was set April 4 for Corey Andrew Cantwell, 25, South Washington Street, East Palestine, charged with fourth-degree felony pandering obscenity-buy procure possess obscene material for allegedly possessing a phone with images of material that showed a minor in an obscene performance, otherwise known as child sexual assault material on March 10 in East Palestine. The images were found March 19 during execution of a search warrant.

A pretrial was set June 4 for Freeman Bankston, 52, New Castle, Pa., charged with possessing criminal tools and engaging in prostitution for allegedly responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $240, arriving in East Palestine on March 15 for the meeting.

A pretrial was set May 30 for Kent A. Schaus, 60, Akron, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly requesting sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $140 from an undercover agent via a telecommunications device, traveling to Salem on March 27 for the meeting.

Robin Dimko, 56, East School Street, Salem, was fined $100 for disorderly conduct, amended from domestic violence, for screaming at a woman and punching and scratching her neck, wrist and hand during a domestic in Salem on Dec. 22, 2023.

A pretrial was set April 4 for Andrew Pokey, 41, West Fourth Street, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly hitting a woman in the face on June 14, 2011. The case had been pending since 2011.

A pretrial was set June 13 for John O’Connell, 58, state Route 164, Salineville, charged with domestic violence for allegedly pushing a woman, shoving her, trying to punch her in the face and slapped her behind during an argument on Dec. 22, 2023 at a Salineville residence.

Ashley Sexton, 31, Fairlawn, was fined $150 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for taking a vehicle without the permission of the owner on Sept. 16, 2023 in Salem.

Loudon Vingle, 50, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, was fined $925 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs and expired registration. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted.

A pretrial was set June 18 for Jessica Hilderbrand, 33, Spillway Road, Lisbon, charged with loud exhaust and drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a marijuana pipe, a cut straw and a baggy of crystal substance during a traffic stop on March 20 in St. Clair Township.

A pretrial was set May 28 for Heather Carpenter, 48, Dillonvale, charged with possession of drugs for allegedly possessing pills shown to be clonazepam during a traffic stop June 22, 2022 in Yellow Creek Township.

A motion hearing was set April 25 for Donald Ferrebee, 69, Cain Street, East Liverpool, charged with failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, OVI third offense, OVI refusal third offense and traffic control devices. Ferrebee allegedly fled from police attempting a traffic stop on March 16 in Columbiana.

Alex Lewis, 35, West First Street, Minerva, was fined $575 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 174 days suspended, leaving six days to serve, for OVI, reasonable control and distracted driving. His driver’s license was suspended for three years, with driving privileges granted. He was permitted to buy out 50 hours of community service for $500.

John Shelley, 51, East Pershing Street, Salem, was fined $1,050 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended, leaving 10 days to serve, for OVI and left of center. His driver’s license was suspended for two years and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Clay Ramseyer, 23, Lake Milton, was fined $875 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for OVI. A charge of failure to control was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Bobby Jo Staley, 41, Elkton Road, Lisbon, was fined $875 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Kory Flowers, 32, Hanover Road, Salineville, was fined $150 for driving while texting.

A pretrial was set June 18 for Sandi Phillips, 35, state Route 644, Kensington, charged with reckless operation.

A pretrial was set June 18 for James Houshour II, 31, West Pershing Street, Salem, charged with driving under suspension.

Thomas Macolino, 35, state Route 164, Lisbon, was fined $180 for driving under suspension and no seat belt.

A driving under suspension charge was dismissed against Steven Summers, 48, Vale Street, East Liverpool.

Nathaniel Byrd, 56, Youngstown, was fined $150 for driving under suspension. Another counts of driving under suspension was dismissed.

Trenton Young, 21, New Brighton, Pa., was fined $150 for an equipment violation, amended from speeding.