Common Pleas

LISBON — An East Liverpool woman accused of assaulting a man last year pleaded guilty to a lesser-included offense of attempted felonious assault, a third-degree felony.

Kristal Keyes, 40, Claibourne Street, will face sentencing Sept. 13 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court. She was originally charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for allegedly being one of three people who assaulted a man on July 15, 2023 in East Liverpool.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— A defense motion to suppress evidence from a search warrant at an Aetna Street, Salem property was denied in a case against Christopher Ewing, 40, state Route 644, Kensington, who was charged with aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine and $71 on Sept. 10, 2021, the day the search warrant was executed. Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam said the information in an affidavit explaining the reasons for the search was fresh, not stale, and the defendant had no standing to claim a Fourth Amendment violation. The case remains pending.

— Robert Malecki, 58, Orwell, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia, with sentencing set for Sept. 20. Malecki was accused of possessing 2.90 grams of methamphetamine after arriving on March 16, 2022 in East Palestine for an arranged sex-for-hire encounter. He had responded to an undercover ad on a known escort website and set up the meeting for sexual activity in exchange for $200.

— Douglas Barnes, 43, Ravine Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia and a lesser offense of third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs (previously a second-degree felony), with sentencing set for Sept. 6. A charge of aggravated trafficking in drugs was being dismissed. Barnes possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on Sept. 9, 2022 and again on Sept. 22, 2022 along with drug paraphernalia.

— Jeremy Brown, 47, 18th Street Heights, Wellsville, pleaded guilty to two counts nonsupport of dependents, a fourth-degree felony, for failing to pay child support for two children from May 15, 2020 to May 20, 2022. Sentencing was set for Sept. 20.

Municipal Court

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, cases against Ryan Geho, 30, Mattix Road, Lisbon, were bound over to the county grand jury for first-degree felony felonious assault, third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and misdemeanors of reckless operation and use of unauthorized plate. When Columbiana Police attempted a traffic stop on his motorcycle, Geho allegedly fled at high rates of speed and after ramming the police cruiser and crashing into two parked vehicles, his motorcycle crashed on June 27 in Columbiana.

A case against Emilio Quinones, 52, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem, was bound over to the county grand jury for third-degree felony strangulation and fourth-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly grabbing a woman by her neck with both hands, causing her to pass out on June 24 in Salem. Quinones had a past conviction for domestic violence and strangulation in Common Pleas Court and a previous domestic violence out of another state.

A case against Sydney Panza, 25, Beaver, Pa., was bound over to the county grand jury for fourth-degree felony assault on a peace officer for allegedly pushing a Salem police officer and kicking him in the back of the legs while at the department in Salem in the custody of Leetonia Police on June 26.

Kevin Kosko, 58, last known address Adams Road, East Palestine, was fined $1,125 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for possessing criminal tools and physical control, amended from operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A charge of engaging in prostitution was dismissed by the prosecution. His driver’s license was suspended for 180 days and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Kosko was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website, along with his girlfriend, and arranged for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $140, arriving in East Palestine on Dec. 15, 2023 for the meeting.

Jeffrey Thompson, 49, White Street, Wellsville, was given no fine, but was ordered to pay costs and was given a suspended 90-day jail term for violating a temporary protection order and criminal damaging. He was ordered to make restitution of $739 to the victim. On March 31 in Wellsville, Thompson violated a protection order by driving past a protected person’s residence and yelling obscenities at him and flipping him off. On Nov. 5, 2023, Thompson was accused of breaking the same man’s front gate and picking up his concrete gnome decoration and throwing it on the ground, breaking off the top piece of the gnome.

Adam Douglass, 40, Cain Street, East Liverpool, was fined $800 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended, leaving a balance of three days to serve in jail, for physical control, which was amended from operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs by the prosecutor due to evidentiary issues, and disorderly conduct, amended from assault, and assured clear distance. His driver’s license was suspended for 180 days and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. On Nov. 15, 2023, Douglass was accused of punching another man multiple times and after being told by police to stop, he continued to punch the man multiple times in St. Clair Township. Police then ended up using the taser on Douglass.

Andrew Trzcinski, 19, Beaver Falls, Pa, was fined $45 for speeding.

Secret Indictment

LISBON — Chelsea Lynn Curran, 32, Chester Avenue, East Liverpool, was served recently with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for third-degree felony illegal use of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits or WIC Program Benefits and fourth-degree felony forgery. The indictment alleged that she misused benefits from Jan. 21, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2022 and that she provided correspondence to the county Department of Job and Family Services purportedly from her landlord that she knew was forged from Jan. 1, 2021 to Jan. 27, 2021.