Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Charles H. Lucas Jr., Y & O Road, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Y & O Road, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Mary Jo Fitzpatrick, North Jefferson Street, Lisbon; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for North Jefferson Street, Lisbon property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Jimmie J. Carroll, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Don Lee Cain, Old Fredericktown Road, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Old Fredericktown Road, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Larry Kenner, Haywood Street, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Haywood Street, East Liverpool property.

Robbin Kay Zimmerman, East Fifth Street, Salem, vs. Bryan Joseph Bennett, West Main Street, East Palestine; divorce sought.

Patricia Phillips, Vine Street, Salem, vs. Brandon Seddon, Barclay Avenue, Salem; divorce sought.

Karen Merryweather, Speidel Road, Kensington, vs. Scott Merryweather, Youngstown; divorce sought.

Peter Johnson Jr., Summitville, vs. Encino Energy, LLC, Houston, Texas, et al.; damages sought along with accounting, order of restitution and injunctive relief ordering that post production expenses no longer deducted from royalty payments related to oil and gas lease.

ABL Wholesale Distributors Inc., state Route 14, Columbiana, vs. Gaurang Babariya, doing business as Gary’s Drive Thru West, Marion; collection sought of alleged $80,291 debt.

PNC Bank, Miamisburg, vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Allen D. Parks and Lois J. Parks, both deceased, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Tommy Craven, 49, Youngstown, was served Monday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly failing to pay child support for one child from Aug. 29, 2021 to Aug. 27, 2023.

Court News

LISBON — A man who violated the terms of his probation was sentenced to 10 months in prison for a felony charge of domestic violence and misdemeanor charges of criminal damaging and aggravated trespass.

Luke Matthew Worden, 43, Weirton, W.Va., appeared recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for the probation revocation hearing. His participation in drug court was dishonorably terminated for the violations. He received credit for 48 days served in jail.

On July 27, 2021, Worden was accused of breaking the kitchen window out of a Wellsville residence, kicking the back door open, then going back inside and slamming a woman to the ground, pulling her hair and punching her in the back.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Joseph B. Vincent, 42, Mansfield, was sentenced to eight months in prison for a lesser included offense of fourth-degree felony attempted compelling prostitution and fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Vincent had originally been charged with compelling prostitution, a third-degree felony. Fifth-degree felonies of importuning and possessing criminal tools were dismissed. Vincent was designated a Tier II sex offender with a requirement to register his address with the sheriff’s office of the county where he resides once he’s released. He received credit for 11 days served in jail. Vincent was accused of requesting sexual conduct from an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female in exchange for $140 and arriving in Salem for the meeting on July 24, 2023.

— Kristen Moore, 49, East High Street, Lisbon, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony attempted tampering with evidence, a lesser-included offense for the original third-degree felony charge, and misdemeanor endangering children, with sentencing set for Sept. 30. A second charge of tampering with evidence will be dismissed. All the charges stem from activity from Aug. 16, 2022 to Nov. 15, 2022, with the endangering children charge involving a child who was 10 years old when the risk to the child’s health began.

— Joseph Suroiu, 39, Cortland, was placed into drug court for a period not to exceed five years for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony. He received credit for 30 days served in jail and a mandatory fine of $5,000. Suroiu possessed meth on April 10, 2022 in an amount equal or greater than bulk, but less than five times bulk.

— Jonathan Fish, 44, North Sumner Street, East Palestine, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to fifth-degree felony improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and a misdemeanor of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination – OVI. A charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence of a listed controlled substance or a listed metabolite of a controlled substance – OVI was dismissed. Fish received credit for 25 days served in jail. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he received a mandatory fine of $375. Fish allegedly possessed a loaded firearm when troopers responded for a disabled vehicle on Oct. 6, 2023 in Unity Township.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, cases against Kenneth Taylor Jr., 45, Avondale Street, East Liverpool, were bound over to the grand jury for felonious assault, a first-degree felony, fourth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanor resisting arrest. Taylor was accused of striking a woman in the face during a domestic on July 20 in East Liverpool. When police arrived, Taylor was allegedly armed with knives, refused to obey commands and advanced toward officers and was tased several times before he stopped resisting arrest.

A case against Andrew Culp Jr., 35, North 18th Street, Sebring, was bound over to the county grand jury for third-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly grabbing a woman by her arms, pulling her away from the door and shoving her on July 4 in Columbiana. A misdemeanor assault charge was dismissed.

Cases against John Soltysiak, 63, Goshen Road, Salem, were bound over to the county grand jury for first-degree felony failure to verify change of address and misdemeanor falsification for allegedly failing to report a change in his address as required of a registered sex offender on June 18 and giving the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office a wrong address where he had not resided.

Shane R. Hart, 31, West Main Street, Salineville, was fined $500 and sentenced to 120 days in jail, with credit for six days served, leaving a balance of 114 days still to serve in jail for falsification, inducing panic, domestic violence and resisting arrest. A fourth-degree felony disrupting public services charge and a misdemeanor making false alarms charge were each dismissed. On July 23, he was accused of calling 911 to report a woman overdosed on meth and was unconscious, leading to a response by deputies and Salineville EMS and Northstar EMS who found that she was fine and not overdosing and there was no medical emergency. Hart was accused of grabbing a woman by the arms and telling her he was going to hurt her during a disturbance on July 25 in Salineville. Another woman who responded to the Salineville residence told him she was calling the police and he forcibly took the cell phone away from her to prevent her from calling for assistance. When a police officer attempted to make contact with him, he allegedly attempted to block access by putting mattresses in the hallway between himself and the officer. He also allegedly pulled away and had to be taken to the ground and forcibly placed into handcuffs.

Charges of third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanor obstructing official business were dismissed without prejudice against Troy J. Jones, 43, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool. He was accused of allegedly attempting to dispose of cell phones that would be evidence while officers were executing a search warrant on First Avenue, East Liverpool on April 23, an affidavit said. He also allegedly failed to comply with lawful commands of police.

A pretrial was set Aug. 8 for Keith Cameron, 29, Alliance, charged with domestic violence for allegedly grabbing a woman by the arms, lifting her off of the ground and pushing her into the wall at an apartment in Perry Township on July 29.

Corey Andrew Cantwell, 25, Creek Road, New Waterford, was fined $400 and sentenced to 145 days in jail, with credit for 139 days served, leaving a balance of six days still to serve in jail for assault and two counts of obstructing official business On March 10 in East Palestine, Cantwell slammed a woman to the ground and struck her, then disrupted her attempt to call 911 and fled on foot after she was able to make the call.

Patrick Duffield, 21, Newell, W.Va., was fined $300 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended and credit for nine days served, leaving a balance of 21 days to serve in jail for assault and resisting arrest. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. Duffield fled from Pennsylvania Avenue, East Liverpool, after police were called for a male being assaulted with pipes on June 13 and then resisted arrest when police approached him.

A pretrial was set Nov. 5 for Joshua Aziz Hayat, 37, Poland, charged with possessing criminal tools, engaging in prostitution, possession of drug abuse instrument and drug paraphernalia for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with female in exchange for currency and crack cocaine, traveling to East Palestine on May 7 for the meeting. Hayat allegedly possessed the phone used to make the arrangements and suspected heroin, suspected cocaine, a crack pipe and hypodermic syringes.

Kevin James Blake, 52, East North Avenue, East Palestine, was fined $750 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and a 12-hour education course. Blake was accused of requesting sexual conduct from an undercover agent for an agreed upon price of $100, then driving to Salem on April 26 for the meeting.

Robert Allen Moore, 21, Cusick Road, Lisbon, was fined $550 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for miscellaneous wildlife and two counts tampering with traffic control devices. He was also ordered to complete 60 hours community service. Signs being held as evidence were ordered returned to the lawful owners. Moore was accused of stealing a stop sign from Cusick Road, Lisbon, and a No Vehicle Beyond This Sign sign from the Highlandtown Wildlife Area on April 30.

A pretrial was set Sept. 26 for Clinton Scott, 46, Union Street, Columbiana, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly becoming argumentative with a police officer attempting to take him into custody, ignoring commands until being warned about possible use of a taser on July 25 in Columbiana.

A pretrial was set Sept. 16 for Christian Matthew Bell, 28, Youngstown, charged with two counts of theft for allegedly taking a woman’s tablet and phone on July 23 in East Liverpool and taking a man’s tablet and phone on July 29 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Aug. 8 for Stacy Ferguson, 53, Canton, charged with possession of drugs for allegedly possessing four pills of alprazolam on Dec. 12, 2018 during a traffic stop in Lisbon.

A pretrial was set Oct. 29 for Steven Guappone, 40, Leetonia Road, Leetonia, charged with disorderly conduct for an incident July 28 at the Corner Tavern in Leetonia where he allegedly attempted to entice a physical altercation between himself and another patron, making alarming gestures toward her and a swatting motion, knocking a beverage out of her hand. The owner of the bar trespassed him from the establishment.

Norma Gaskins, no date of birth listed, Walnut Street, Leetonia, was fined $10 for disorderly conduct, amended from criminal mischief, for removing police no parking signs from the alley next to her house so she could park her car in Leetonia on July 9. She did hand the signs to the police chief after being told to do so.

Elizabeth Looper, 25, Ohio Avenue, Salem, was fined $150 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 179 days suspended and credit for one day served for assault, amended from domestic violence for slapping a man, grabbing him by the leg causing a scratch and throwing a steel toe shoe at him on July 23 in Salem.

A pretrial was set Oct. 17 for Steven Douglas, 47, Main Street, Wellsville, charged with operating a vehicle impaired first offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years and a tail lights violation.

Tyler Gorby, 21, South Pricetown Road, Damascus, was fined $1,125 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 85 days suspended and credit for two days served and credit for three days served in a driver invention program, for OVI, headlights and improper handling weapons while intoxicated, amended to a misdemeanor from a felony of improper handling firearms in a motor vehicle. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Gorby possessed a pistol with a loaded magazine under the passenger seat during a traffic stop while impaired on April 6.

A pretrial was set Oct. 8 for Christian McVay, 30, state Route 154, Lisbon, charged with OVI first offense, OVI controlled substance marijuana and turn signal violation.

Arraignment was reset for Aug. 12 for Felix Baten Velasquiez, 21, South Lundy Avenue, Salem, charged with driving under suspension, improper/expired registration and driving while texting.

A marijuana possession charge was dismissed against Kendrick Price, 33, Garfield Heights, who had been charged after a traffic stop on May 23, 2018 in Elkrun Township.

A pretrial was set Oct. 29 for Gary Wayne Michael, 29, Bradshaw Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with speeding.

Charlene Milano, 33, Youngstown, was fined $150 for an equipment violation, amended from improper passing.

Samuel Jennings, 32, West Calla Road, Salem, was fined $100 for speeding.

Nakkiya Plummer, 21, East Fourth Street, Salem, was fined $150 for an equipment violation, amended form speeding.

David Hendrix, 44, Bergholz, was fined $150 for an equipment violation, amended from driving while texting.