Court News

New Cases

Capital One, N.A., Dublin, vs. Jenny Gates, East Main Street, East Palestine; collection sought of alleged $29,829 debt.

Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC, Anaheim, Calif., vs. Alexander Stevenson, Gonzales Avenue, East Liverpool, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Dollar Bank vs. Planck Trading Solutions, LLC, et al.; appeal filed in 7th District Court of Appeals over mortgage foreclosure ordered for properties in Columbiana and Jefferson counties and judgment granted to plaintiff for Chutz notes of $1,525,000 plus $58,235 interest and $2,570,000 plus $144,152 interest and RJM note of $424,999 plus $3,164 interest.

Lona’s Route 14, LLC, North Jackson and Daniel Tancer, North Jackson, vs. Gary Rambo, state Route 14, East Palestine; partition of property sought.

Docket Entries

Trudy Fletcher vs. William Fletcher; divorce granted.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Two defendants accused of drug charges were served Wednesday with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury.

Camren Sisco, 20, Pancake Clarkson Road, Rogers, was charged with fifth-degree felony possession of fentanyl-related compound and third-degree felony illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of specified governmental facility for allegedly possessing fentanyl and taking drugs onto the grounds of a detention facility on Jan. 14, 2023.

Thomas Peterson, 60, Medina, was charged with three counts of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine and THC on Aug. 25, 2023 and methamphetamine on Sept. 24, 2023.

Municipal

LISBON — A man accused of allegedly threatening EMT personnel who were trying to save a drowning victim on July 19 at a Salem Township property appeared in Columbiana County Municipal Court on Thursday for a pretrial.

William Dean Hively Jr., 53, of Salem Grange Road, Salem, requested appointed counsel, which Judge Kelly Linger approved, and he also signed a waiver of the time requirement for bringing the case to trial. A new pretrial date was set for 10:30 a.m. Nov. 7.

According to a sheriff’s report, Hively was allegedly threatening to kill EMT personnel while they were on the scene and kept making hints that he was going to retrieve a handgun. He’s charged with aggravated menacing and disorderly conduct-intoxication.

An affidavit said Hively was allegedly intoxicated when he threatened the EMTs, who were attempting to conduct life-saving measures on the victim, 56-year-old Melanie Lamb, who was later pronounced dead at the Salem hospital after being found in a swimming pool at the Salem Grange Road property.

Hively remains out of jail after posting a $10,000 cash or surety bond.

Also in county Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set Aug. 8 for Kip Bailey, 36, state Route 267, East Liverpool, charged with menacing by stalking, a fourth-degree felony, for allegedly stalking two female juveniles in East Liverpool on July 2 by means of watching and hiding in bushes, creeping on his hands and knees while watching, waiting and hiding from approaching vehicles. He also allegedly engaged in inappropriate and harmful talk to the juveniles, watching and continuously walking by and peeling out in his vehicle in front of the residence.

Charles D. Cross, 36, Gibsonia, Pa., was fined $750 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 175 days suspended and credit for three days served, leaving a balance of two days still to serve in jail for possessing criminal tools and procuring, amended from a felony charge of promote prostitution-transport across state lines for sex for hire. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and an online prostitution prevention course. He was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website, advising he was an Uber driver and would transport the alleged female for sex dates at a reduced rate, for $35 a trip, profiting from the sex-for-hire industry, arriving in East Palestine on June 29 to pick up the alleged female. He was met by police and had the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession, along with food he was bringing the female.

A pretrial was set Nov. 4 for Jennifer Paskali Sekerak, 42, Sleepy Hollow, Leetonia, charged with menacing by stalking and telecommunications harassment for texting or sending messages via social media to a woman on her cell phone after being told to stop contacting her, along with allegedly sending naked pictures during the month of July, an affidavit said. On July 17, she allegedly drove by a Leetonia residence several times with her phone stuck out the window of her car filming a woman.

Devon Dunn, 29, Passlane Drive, Lisbon, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 80 days suspended and credit for 12 days served, leaving a balance still to serve in jail of 88 days for violation of a protection order. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. On Feb. 22 in Hanover Township, Dunn violated a protection order by sending a message through social media to a protected person.

Randy Reynolds, 24, Prospect Street, East Liverpool, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended and credit for one day serve, leaving a balance of 29 days to serve in jail for domestic violence. A fifth-degree felony strangulation was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service, to pay restitution of $300 to one victim and to stay away from another victim. Reynolds was accused of attempting to choke a woman during a domestic on May 19 in East Liverpool and punching out the window of the car she was inside with two children.

Dustin Holderbaum, 21, East Sparta, pleaded guilty to two counts criminal damaging, with sentencing set for Aug. 19. Holderbaum was accused of shattering the glass at the drive-thru at Suburban Market in Salem on May 10.

Heather Barnhouse, 49, Clearview Drive, East Liverpool, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 178 days suspended and credit for two days served, for assault. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. During an argument on July 20 in St. Clair Township, Barnhouse spit in another woman’s face.

Nicole Polen, 40, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $200 for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence. She was accused of being the aggressor in an altercation with a man on April 16 in Columbiana. When police arrived, she became more disorderly by raising her voice and making preposterous statements and not following officer commands. She pulled away when officers attempted to handcuff her and resisted.

A pretrial was set Nov. 7 for Dannie Dabler, 36, Vine Street, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly yelling and throwing things at a man and then starting to hit him on May 13 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Nov. 4 for Dominic Pagani, 51, East Fifth Street, Salem, charged with domestic violence for allegedly grabbing a woman’s cell phone and throwing it back at her, causing a mark on her body.

A pretrial was set Nov. 5 for John Bosworth, 32, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, charged with domestic violence and coercion for allegedly threatening to punch a woman on July 28 in Columbiana and sending her a threatening text message.

A pretrial was set Nov. 4 for Raul Bautista, 31, Salineville West, Salineville, charged with domestic violence for allegedly threatening a woman while allegedly intoxicated and attacking her with his bare hands, screaming at her on July 30 in Salineville.

Allen Boyd, 56, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $500 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 80 days suspended and credit for three days served, leaving a remaining balance of seven days to serve in jail for assault and criminal damaging. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to pay restitution of $100 to the victim. On May 30, 2023, he struck another man in the head multiple times, kicking him multiple times and throwing him to the ground in East Liverpool. On Aug. 29, 2023 in East Liverpool, he damaged a vehicle by hitting it with a baseball bat multiple times, breaking the windshield and leaving a large dent in a door.

A charge of disorderly conduct was dismissed against Jamie Banks, 37, Newgarden Avenue, Salem. She was ordered to pay court costs. She was involved in an altercation at the Dollar General on U.S. Route 62 on March 22 during a child custody exchange.

A charge of disorderly conduct was dismissed against Gwendolyn Miku, 30, Alliance. She was ordered to pay court costs. She was involved in an altercation at the Dollar General on U.S. Route 62 on March 22 during a child custody exchange.

Michael Frank Durant, 63, Solon, 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. Durant was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $200, arriving in East Palestine on May 17 for the meeting.

A pretrial was set Oct. 8 for Joshua Matthew McBride, 33, Butler, 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 $50 to be paid with the Cash App and then traveling to East Palestine for the meeting on May 14.

A pretrial was set Oct. 8 for Nathaniel Paul Beck, 45, Kent, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly arriving in East Palestine on July 24 for a sex for hire arrangement.

A pretrial was set Oct. 3 for Ronald Roach, 54, state Route 170, East Liverpool, charged with violation of a protection order for allegedly sending several threatening text messages to a man on June 20, June 21 and July 18 and sending a voice recording calling him names on July 22 in East Liverpool, all in violation of a protection order.

A pretrial was set Oct. 10 for David Scott Lucas, 60, Oak Street, East Liverpool, charged with menacing for allegedly sending threatening text messages to a woman on July 20 in East Liverpool.

A probation violation hearing was set Aug. 8 for Lisa Marie Cunningham, 21, Avondale Street, East Liverpool, for allegations that she violated her probation for a theft charge related to a shoplifting incident at the Calcutta Walmart on March 20. A case for another theft charge was set for a drug court hearing on Aug. 13 for allegedly stealing $23.30 from Dollar Tree in East Liverpool on May 29.

A theft charge against Charlene Sias, 47, Pancake Clarkson Road, Negley, was dismissed, with Sias ordered to pay court costs. She was accused of attempting to load a dresser into a truck to attempt to take it on Dec. 31, 2023 in Elkton, then unloading it when confronted.

James Carl May, 54, McDonald, was fined $150 and given a suspended 60-day jail term for attempted possession related to drugs found during an incident in Salem on Oct. 20, 2022.

Amanda Harris, 32, Canton, was sentenced to 60 days in jail, with credit for 10 days served, leaving a balance of 50 days still to serve for violating her probation for charges of endangering children, operating a vehicle impaired, following too closely, no valid license and child restraint. Her probation was dishonorably terminated. The charges stemmed from a traffic stop on May 7, 2021 when she was under the influence and had juvenile passengers.

Melanie Felger, 51, Pine Hollow Road, Rogers, was fined $875 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for OVI first offense. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and she was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Sean Zentner, 59, Canterbury Court, Columbiana, 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 OVI and marked lanes. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

A pretrial was set Oct. 31 for Terry Davis, 56, Westfield Road, East Liverpool, charged with OVI first offense and reasonable control.

A court trial was set Sept. 17 for Ted Darnley, 22, Georgetown, Pa., charged with driving while texting.

A pretrial was set Nov. 5 for Monica Blumenthal, 45, Lowellville, charged with use of unauthorized plates, speeding and two counts of no valid license.