Court News

LISBON — A jury trial for drug possession remains set for June 17 for Kirk Price, 56, Eighth Avenue, East Liverpool, after his motion to suppress evidence was overturned.

Price was charged with aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Sept. 21, 2022 during a traffic stop in St. Clair Township.

Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam noted that Price was not in custody at the time and a comment he made to an officer was unprompted. The owner of the vehicle, who was a passenger, also gave consent for police to search the vehicle. During that search a suspected methamphetamine pipe was found on the center console and Price allegedly claimed ownership.

While searching him, police found suspected narcotics in his front pocket, which led to the indictment.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Steven McGrew, 38, Pine Lake Road, Beloit, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after a jury found him guilty of third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. He received credit for 89 days served in jail. His driver’s license was suspended for 20 years. McGrew was accused of attempting to flee from police on Feb. 24 in Salem, leading officers on a chase at speeds sometimes in excess of 90 mph before they suspended the chase.

— Matthew Hormel, 41, Poland, was sentenced to a total of 57 months in prison after receiving consecutive terms for three separate indictments, along with being fined a mandatory $10,000 on two drug charges. In a case for third-degree felonies of tampering with evidence and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, he received credit for 224 days served in jail and his driver’s license was suspended for 10 years for fleeing from police and tampering with evidence on Oct. 23, 2023. He received 29 days credit for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on July 29, 2023. A charge of aggravated trafficking in drugs was dismissed. For a third-degree felony of aggravated possession of drugs for possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on March 7, 2023, he received credit for one day served.

— Zachary Mills, 34, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, with credit for seven days served, for third-degree felony gross sexual imposition. He was deemed a Tier II sex offender required to register his address with law enforcement. Mills was indicted for having sexual contact with a child from April 30, 2017 to April 30, 2019, starting when the child was 6 years old.

— Gloria Flaherty, 49, Birch Road, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for third-degree felony illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility and fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs. The indictment alleged that on April 23, 2022, Flaherty possessed methamphetamine and knowingly conveyed drugs onto the grounds of a detention facility. The indictment also noted that the offender, Flaherty, was an officer or employee of the department of rehabilitation and corrections or department of youth services.

— Reva McCullough, 33, Central Avenue, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve 55 days in the county jail after violating her probation for fifth-degree felony charges of theft from a person in a protected class and misuse of credit card from an incident in August 2021.

— John Caputa, 44, Medina, was sentenced to eight months in prison, with credit for one day served, for fourth-degree felonies of attempted compelling prostitution and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools. He was accused of arranging to have sexual conduct with a female he believed to be a 15-year-old in exchange for money and then traveling to East Palestine on July 9, 2023 for the meeting.

— Marc Schmucker, 43, Bristolville, was ordered to serve 120 days in the county jail, with credit for two days served, as part of his community control for fourth-degree felony attempted compelling prostitution. He was placed on probation for three years and was deemed a Tier II sex offender required to register his address with law enforcement. He was originally charged in county Municipal Court with third-degree felony compelling prostitution and fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools. Schmucker was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website advertising a 16-year-old juvenile and soliciting sexual activity in exchange for money, traveling to East Palestine on Jan. 12, 2023 for the meeting.

— Alfred Thompson, 42, Mecca Road NE, Kensington, was ordered to spend 40 days in the county jail, with credit for 10 days served, leaving a balance of 30 days to serve after being placed on community control for three years for fourth-degree felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor endangering children. He was ordered to have no contact with the juvenile victim. Thompson was accused of causing intentional physical harm to a 15-year-old juvenile on March 21, 2023 in Salem. He was originally charged with domestic violence.

— Lacey Shasteen, 27, Goshen Road, Salem, was ordered to serve 14 days in the county jail and had her probation continued until Dec. 6, 2025 for violating her community control for fifth-degree felonies of possession of drugs and aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of drugs. Shasteen possessed methamphetamine and buprenorphine on May 29, 2021 and methamphetamine on June 7, 2021.

— Mackain Wallace, 43, Ephriam Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Aug. 5. Wallace possessed methamphetamine on May 6, 2022.

— Jerry Lee Womack, 39, Austintown, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, specification for forfeiture of money in a drug case and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Sentencing was set for July 22. On June 17, 2023 in East Palestine, he allegedly possessed 12.97 grams of methamphetamine after arriving for a meeting he had arranged for sex acts with a female in exchange for methamphetamine. He had responded to an undercover ad posted on a known prostitution website. The female was actually a police officer posing as a female online. He also possessed $394.

— Phillip Cline, 50, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem, was placed under community control for four years for theft, a fifth-degree felony, two counts fourth-degree felony endangering children, and misdemeanors of receiving stolen property and drug paraphernalia. From Dec. 10, 2022 to Dec. 15. 2022, he was accused of stealing miscellaneous merchandise from Walmart and on Dec. 17, 2022, he had tools belonging to someone else, drug paraphernalia and put two children at risk.

— Kayla Roberts, 24, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Dec. 28, 2022. She received credit for three days served in jail.

— Joseph Quinn, 23, Orchard Street, East Liverpool, was placed on a treatment plan for three years, with credit for 31 days served in jail, after pleading guilty to fifth-degree felonies of possession of fentanyl-related compound and possession of heroin and misdemeanor possession of drugs. Quinn possessed fentanyl, heroin and xylazine on March 31, 2023.