Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, cases against Clayton Robert Murray, 24, East Martin Street, East Palestine, were bound over to the grand jury for felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and misdemeanors of weapons while intoxicated and four counts of aggravated menacing. A police affidavit alleged that Murray pulled a gun out of his waistband, pointed inside a vehicle with four occupants and told them to leave after an incident in East Palestine on July 13.

The affidavit said the victim and three of his friends were at another friend’s residence next door to the defendant when the defendant and one of his friends yelled at them to move their vehicle, which was parked on East Martin Street in front of the defendant’s residence. When the vehicle owner entered the vehicle with his friends, he found the driver side door handle missing and lying on the passenger side floor board. When he asked Murray about the damage to the vehicle, Murray allegedly said “don’t talk to me like that” twice, then approached the vehicle. All four victims indicated that the defendant smelled of alcoholic beverages and was slurring his speech.

A case against Ryan Michael Exline, 18, Hillcrest Road, Wellsville, was bound over to the county grand jury for third-degree felony failure to comply with a police officer for allegedly fleeing on foot after crashing a vehicle that was being pursued by an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper on June 3 in Salineville.

A pretrial was set Oct. 21 for Chad Richard Shelton, 47, New Castle, Pa., charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $80, then traveling to East Palestine on July 22 for the meeting.

A pretrial was set Oct. 28 for Tyler Michael Day, 33, Bridgeport, charged with two counts of engaging in prostitution for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual activity with a female in exchange for $100, Suboxone pills and fire weed that she could resell, then arriving in East Palestine on July 23 for the meeting.

A pretrial was set Oct. 1 for Faith McKeel, 24, Garfield Avenue, East Palestine, charged with domestic violence for allegedly intentionally dropping a milk crate loaded with objects onto the foot of another woman after an argument on July 22 in East Palestine.

Keith Goss, 36, Clark Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 179 days suspended and credit for one day served, for aggravated menacing. He was ordered to complete 60 hours community service and a gun safety course. Goss was accused of threatening a woman and her daughter after calling her at work and saying he had a gun on Dec. 18, 2023.

Steven Edward Cunningham, 34, Erie Street, East Liverpool, was fined $700 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit for 17 days served, leaving a balance of 73 days to serve in jail for endangering children, falsification, possession of drug abuse instrument, disorderly conduct and two counts drug paraphernalia. The jail time was also ordered for violating his probation for a charge of possessing of drug abuse instrument. Cunningham provided police with false identifying information when officers responded to Quality Inn in St. Clair Township on July 3 for persons intoxicated with a child present. Cunningham possessed hypodermic syringes, a burnt glass pipe and a crystal substance and an 11-year-old child was present when he was allegedly under the influence and in possession of dangerous items. On June 22, he possessed two hypodermic syringes and a burnt glass pipe during a traffic stop in East Liverpool.

Bill McFarland, 53, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for two days served, for disorderly conduct amended from menacing. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. McFarland was accused of kicking a door and threatening a man that he was going to end up in a funeral home and he was going to kill him on April 27 in Columbiana.

Anthony Edward Baker, 39, Ravenna, was fined $350 and sentenced to 25 days in jail, with credit for 12 days served, leaving a balance of 13 days to serve in jail, for resisting arrest, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. He was accused of resisting arrest and refusing to leave an East Liverpool residence after being told he was being trespassed on April 13.

A pretrial was set Aug. 1 for Ross Betts, 35, McDonald Road, Lisbon, charged with failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, operating a vehicle impaired third offense, marked lanes and no seat belt. On July 22, Betts allegedly fled from an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper attempting a traffic stop in Wayne Township.

Jared Ault, 39, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $1,025 and sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 54 days suspended, credit for one day served in jail and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, leaving two days to serve in jail, for obstructing official business, OVI and reasonable control. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. After a traffic crash when he was taken into custody, he refused to get out of a Columbiana police cruiser for several minutes and had to be pulled from the vehicle on March 23.

Charles Richards, 30, Main Street, Wellsville, was fined $100 and sentenced to 14 days in jail, with credit for 14 days served, for drug paraphernalia for possessing a burnt glass pipe that he said he used for smoking meth on July 6 in Salem.

Tristan Apinis, 39, North Ellsworth Avenue, Salem, was fined $150 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for drug paraphernalia for possessing a scale with a white crystal substance on it, along with a baggie with a white crystal-like substance.

Christopher McMillan, 38, state Route 517, Lisbon, was fined $1,050 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 165 days suspended and credit for three days served, leaving a balance of 12 days to serve in jail for OVI second offense and reasonable control. A charge of OVI refusal with prior within 20 years was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for two years, with driving privileges granted. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

A pretrial was set Sept. 26 for Jason Maley, 50, Alliance, charged with OVI first offense, OVI breath first offense, speeding, improper/expired registration.

Cody Saunders, 31, Youngstown, was fined $1,000 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for no motorcycle endorsement, failure to control and physical control, amended from OVI. His driver’s license was suspended for one year. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Bradley Eltringham Jr., 37, Church Street, Salineville, was fined $975 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for merged OVI and OVI breath charges, no license and reasonable control. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

A pretrial was set Sept. 30 for Jarrit Manley, 36, Salem Alliance Road, Salem, charged with driving while texting, speeding and no seat belt.

A pretrial was set Sept. 30 for Dylan Davidson, 31, Monroe Avenue, Salem, charged with driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set Oct. 22 for Robert Shaw, 49, Elm Drive, Wellsville, charged with unsafe vehicle.

Douglas Stiffler, 22, West 10th Street, Salem, was fined $150 for speeding.

William Castrucci, 72, East High Street Extension, Leetonia, was fined $75 for driving under suspension.

Jordan Streets, 47, Newell, W.Va., was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

A driving under suspension charge was dismissed against Jacob Morgan, 26, Canton.

Kaden Davis, 25, Carbon Hill Road, East Palestine, was fined $90 for an attempted miscellaneous wildlife violation, amended from miscellaneous wildlife violation, for advertising deer trail bologna for sale on social media on Jan. 16.

Alan James, 46, Old Irondale Road, Irondale, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 90 days suspended for violation of a protection order and telecommunications harassment for walking into a location in Wellsville on May 26 and not leaving when a woman was there who has a protection order against him. The telecommunications charge stemmed from him continuing to send text messages to a victim April 25 after being told to stop, also in Wellsville. He was ordered to stay away from the victim. The balance of 90 days left to serve in jail was ordered served at the same time as a nine-month prison term James is already serving out of Common Pleas Court for two fourth-degree felony assault charges, and misdemeanors of using weapons while intoxicated and resisting arrest.

Miguel Rivera, 45, Leipsic, was fined $775 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended and credit for two days served, leaving a balance of 28 days still to serve for misdemeanor obstructing official business amended from third-degree felony tampering with evidence, and misdemeanors of obstructing justice, drug paraphernalia and operating a vehicle impaired first offense. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was ordered to complete 30 hours community service. Rivera was accused of swallowing a bag he claimed contained drugs during a traffic stop in East Liverpool on July 14. Police also found three cut straws with residue, two burnt glass pipes, an unknown white rock-like substance and a small tear off bag with unknown residue in the vehicle.

Ira Lewis Pierce, 37, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 30 days suspended and credit for eight days served, leaving a balance of 142 days still to serve in jail for domestic violence. A third-degree felony strangulation charge was dismissed by the state. An affidavit said that Pierce allegedly grabbed a juvenile by the throat and began to strangle her on July 14 in East Liverpool, with the female saying she almost passed out.

Michael Quarterman, 60, Forbes Road, Wellsville, was fined $150 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for disorderly conduct, amended from endangering children, and was also ordered to complete 40 hours community service. He was also fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for speeding, child restraint and physical control amended from OVI. An additional OVI charge was dismissed and his driver’s license was suspended for one year. He was also ordered to take a parenting course. On Dec. 23, 2023, Quarterman was accused of driving impaired with children in the vehicle during a traffic stop in East Palestine.

A pretrial was set Oct. 1 for Kirsten Mirabella, 26, New Brighton, Pa., charged with domestic violence for allegedly punching another woman in the face during an argument on July 22 in East Palestine.

Tommy Grant, 30, Youngstown, was fined $100 for driving under suspension.

Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man already behind bars for another case was sentenced to an additional four to six years in prison after pleading guilty to felonious assault, a second-degree felony, fourth-degree felony domestic violence and three counts of fifth-degree felony violating a protection order.

William Gist, 56, St. Clair Avenue, appeared recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to enter pleas in two separate cases. The four- to six-year sentence was ordered served at the end of the 10-month prison term Gist started serving after June 12 for fifth-degree felony assault for attempting to cause harm to a female jail employee by throwing two dinner trays at her on May 1, 2023 while he was an inmate at the Columbiana County jail.

Before going to prison, Gist had to finish a 60-day jail term he received for contempt of court for his behavior during a previous court hearing.

He received credit for 206 days served in jail.

The felonious assault and domestic violence charges stemmed from Gist causing harm to a woman on Jan. 7, 2023, with a previous charge of violence on his record for an aggravated burglary from 1999. The protection order charges stemmed from Gist violating the terms of a protection order on March 13, with previous convictions for protection order violations on his record.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Damien K’wami Clark, 25, was sentenced to three to four and a half years in prison for first-degree felony possession of fentanyl-related compound, second-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and fourth-degree felony possession of heroin in the other case, plus an additional 18 months for third-degree felonies of tampering with evidence, possession of heroin, possession of fentanyl-related compound and fourth-degree felony possession of cocaine. He was also sentenced to mandatory fines totaling $27,500. He received credit for 32 days already served in jail. He was ordered to forfeit amounts of $180 and $429 for money in drug cases. In one case, Clark possessed $180 and heroin, fentanyl and cocaine on May 10, 2023. Three trafficking counts for preparing those drugs for sale were dismissed. In the other case, Clark possessed $429, fentanyl-related compound in an amount equal or greater than 20 grams, but less than 50 grams, methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times the bulk amount, but less than 50 times the bulk amount and heroin in an amount from 1 to 5 grams on July 8, 2022.

— Rachel Bikauskas, 38, Mansfield, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for two counts of fourth-degree felony aggravated vehicular assault, two counts of fifth-degree felony endangering children and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of both. She received credit for one day served in jail, received a mandatory fine of $1,000 and a 10-year driver’s license suspension. Bikauskas was operating a 1999 Ford Explorer impaired and caused serious physical harm to two children on March 21, 2023.

— Troy Jones, 43, First Avenue, East Liverpool, was sentenced to two years in prison for third-degree felonies of tampering with evidence and possession of cocaine and a fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine, with credit for two days served. He received a mandatory fine of $5,000 and was ordered to forfeit $1,638 for a forfeiture specification. The charges stemmed from his actions on May 12, 2023 when the Columbiana County Drug Task Force and Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at his residence. He allegedly flushed an unknown amount of crack cocaine down the toilet, with pieces of crack cocaine seen by agents on the toilet seat and in the toilet bowl. The third-degree felony count involved an amount of cocaine equal or greater than 10 grams, but less than 20 grams on May 16, 2023. The forfeiture dealt with $1,638 in his possession.

— Curtis Gearhart, 40, South Lincoln Avenue, Lisbon, pleaded guilty to charges in two separate indictments, including aggravated menacing and obstructing official business and a fifth-degree felony charge of obstructing justice, with sentencing set for Sept 27. Charges of intimidation and tampering with evidence will be dismissed. Gearhart was accused of attempting to delete the contents of his phone which had been taken into evidence by police after an overdose incident on May 7, 2023 in Lisbon. During a traffic stop on Sept. 5, 2023, he was accused of threatening Perry Township police officers by calling them pigs and making them believe he wanted to harm their families. He also kept acting belligerent and ripped a citation in half.

— Terrance Lewis, 61, whose last known address was Cleveland, was ordered to spend seven days in the county jail for violation his probation for a fifth-degree felony charge of breaking and entering. His community control was dishonorably terminated. Lewis trespassed at the Mainland Gas Station, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Liverpool on July 30, 2018.

— Mason Jones, 32, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing buprenorphine on March 3, 2023. Sentencing was set for Sept. 27.

— Damien Paolino, 40, Avondale Street, East Liverpool, will remain under community control after his treatment plan was terminated for violations. Paolino had been placed on the plan earlier this year after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony, a fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, and possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. He received credit for one day served in jail. On May 1 2022, Paolino possessed methamphetamine in an amount greater than bulk, but less than five times the bulk amount, along with cocaine and psilocyn.

— James May, 45, Waddell Street, Leetonia, was sentenced to prison for six months after pleading guilty to nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to pay child support from Aug. 1, 2019 to Aug. 8, 2021. He received credit for 31 days served in jail.

— Miranda Little, 40, Youngstown, was placed on community control for one year for theft, a fifth-degree felony lesser included offense for receiving stolen property. She received credit for one day served in jail. A charge of drug paraphernalia was dismissed. Little was accused of possessing a burnt glass pipe and a stolen firearm during a traffic stop on Sept. 2, 2023 in St. Clair Township.