Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, cases against Michael D. Proctor Jr., 55, Rochester Road, East Rochester, were bound over to the county grand jury for felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and misdemeanor criminal damaging. He allegedly was seen on camera spitting in a man’s face before being taken to the ground by the man recently in East Rochester. During the ensuing altercation he allegedly grabbed a screwdriver off of the ground and attacked the man with it. The man backed off and Proctor allegedly was observed stabbing the front driver’s side tire of the man’s vehicle.

Cases against Justina Desarro, 34, Curry Street, East Liverpool, were bound over to the county grand jury for fourth-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia for allegedly entering a residence in S. Clair Township without permission on Sept. 4 while the resident was sleeping. Desarro also allegedly possessed a paper fold being used as a container to hold an unknown powder inside her purse when placed under arrest.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Sept. 26 for Ross Bussard Jr., 56, Signal Road, Columbiana, charged with fifth-degree felony improper handling of firearm in motor vehicle and misdemeanors of operating a vehicle impaired first offense, OVI breath first offense and reasonable control. On Sept. 11, an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper investigated a one-vehicle crash on state Route 7 in Elkrun Township where the driver fled and a tow truck driver reported taking possession of two loaded firearms found in the vehicle. The defendant later returned to the scene and was found to be under the influence, saying the firearms were in the center console before being removed.

A preliminary hearing was set Sept. 16 for Kaden Desellem, 21, Foundry Hill Road, Salineville, charged with fourth-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly punching a man in the chin on Sept. 1 in Salineville.

A preliminary hearing was set Sept. 26 for Richard Thomas Wright, 29, McKinnon Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with third-degree felony failure to verify change of address for allegedly failing to notify the sheriff’s office that he had moved from Lincoln Avenue, East Liverpool, which he’s required to do as a registered sex offender.

Justin Ingledue, 36, Fairfield School Road, Columbiana, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 140 days suspended and credit for 11 days served, leaving a balance of 29 days still to serve in jail for domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service. Ingledue grabbed a woman by the throat, slammed her on the couch and held her down against her will during a domestic on Sept. 1 in Elkrun Township. She freed herself and fled, but the defendant caught and shoved her several times.

Cristian Danilo Posados Garcia, 25, Monroeville, Pa., was fined $500 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for possessing criminal tools and disorderly conduct amended from engaging in prostitution. Garcia was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and a 12-hour education course. Garcia was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $180 and then traveling to East Palestine on April 16 for the meeting.

Marcus Allen Ford, 30, Rigby Street, East Liverpool, was fined $1,500 and sentenced to two consecutive terms of 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended, for receiving stolen property amended to a misdemeanor from a felony and two misdemeanor counts of theft. For the receiving stolen property charge he must serve a balance of 30 days in jail. For the two thefts charges, he must served an additional 30 days in jail, with credit for three days served, leaving a balance of 27 days, bringing the total jail time to 57 days in jail. He was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. The charges stemmed from events on Aug. 19 in East Liverpool when two people reported their vehicles were broken into. One of the victims said her purse was stolen and the debit/credit card was used at Dollar General, Nikki’s Market, Dollar Tree and Mainland Gas station for a total of $111.50. The other victim reported his wallet stolen containing $30 to $40. Ford was allegedly seen on video footage using the woman’s stolen credit card.

A pretrial was set Sept. 23 for Daniel Widger, 48, state Route 154, Lisbon, charged with assault and two counts of aggravated menacing for allegedly punching and throwing a woman to the ground after he was told to leave the state Route 154, Lisbon property in Elkrun Township on Sept. 10. During the disturbance, he allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the female victim and at a man who was trying to get Widger to stop assaulting the woman.

Richard Vecchio, 62, state Route 164, Lisbon, was fined $200 and sentenced to 25 days in jail for public indecency and criminal trespass. Vecchio exposed his private parts on state Route 45, Lisbon after removing his pants and urinating near the public roadway near Taco Bell under a light on Aug. 17. The police affidavit alleged that Vecchio was highly intoxicated and threw an empty vodka bottle into the road. The trespass charge was for trespassing at Smith Oil in Lisbon on Sept. 5 after being told numerous times he wasn’t allowed on the property. He was also fined $200 and sentenced to 21 days in jail, with credit for 21 days served, for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, with a charge of criminal mischief dismissed for an incident when he placed a bucket in the middle of state Route 164, Lisbon on Aug. 20 and pulled away multiple times from a deputy placing him in custody.

Caleb Moore, 20, Carmel Achor Road, Rogers, was fined $850 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended and credit for three days served, for fleeing and eluding police officer amended to a misdemeanor from a felony and misdemeanor license plate light. A charge of resisting arrest was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service. Moore fled from police on a dirt bike as officers tried to initiate a traffic stop in Lisbon on Aug. 16. He allegedly failed to stop after wrecking his dirt bike, then getting back on the dirt bike and continuing to flee, causing chasing officers to deploy a taser in an attempt to take him into custody.

A motion hearing was set Dec. 9 for Marlaina Rogers, 32, Washington Street, Salineville, charged with resisting arrest and obstructing official business for her alleged behavior during a traffic stop March 25 in St. Clair Township. During the traffic stop, she allegedly got out of the car and walked toward the police cruiser yelling and then attempted to get back inside her car after being told to stand in front of the cruiser. An officer allegedly grabbed her to stop her from going back inside her vehicle and she started pulling away and collapsed on the ground, failing to follow police instructions while being placed under arrest.

Catherine Gregg, 27, Elyria, was fined $650 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 80 days suspended and credit for one day served, leaving a balance of nine days to serve in jail for escape, resisting arrest, driving under suspension and failure to display sticker. A charge of obstructing official business was dismissed. She was ordered to complete 80 hours community service. During a traffic stop on July 1 in St. Clair Township, Gregg was told several times to get out of the vehicle and to leave her belongings so a vehicle inventory could be done, but she exited still with a backpack on which had to be removed. She tried to pull away with the keys and resisted when being placed under arrest. Once inside the cruiser, she allegedly removed one of her hands from the handcuffs and was pulling on the cruiser car handle to open the door and break detention.

A pretrial was set Sept. 23 for Lynda Moylan, 36, Youngstown, charged with falsification for allegedly lying to a Columbiana police officer regarding her name, age and social security number during a traffic stop on Sept. 11.

Lisa Galeoti, 41, Chester, W.Va., was fined $250 and sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 59 days suspended, leaving one day to serve in jail for theft. She was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to stay out of the Calcutta Walmart. She failed to scan and pay for five items valued at $79.25 at the Calcutta Walmart on Sept. 5.

A pretrial was set Sept. 16 for Christian Bell, 28, Youngstown, charged with theft for allegedly stealing razors, deodorant and soap from the Dollar Tree in East Liverpool on Aug. 27.

Melinda Starkey, 39, Carrollton, was fined $200 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for theft. She was ordered to stay away from the Calcutta Walmart. Starkey failed to scan and pay for 66 items totaling $906 at the Calcutta Walmart.

A sentencing hearing was set Oct. 3 for Ronald Keller Jr., 51, East Fourth Street, Salem, who entered a guilty plea to telephone harassment for continuing to send text messages to a victim on Sept. 11 after being told by Salem police not to contact anyone in the victim’s family.

A pretrial was set Nov. 19 for Joshua Kersey, 42, Clark Avenue, Wellsville, charged with endangering children and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly rolling around on the floor of a Wellsville residence with a needle in his hand and almost rolling on a 5-year-old child on Sept. 1.

Jeffrey Gallagher, 24, Struthers, was fined $250 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for disorderly conduct amended from weapons while intoxicated. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Gallagher had a loaded handgun in his truck while impaired during a traffic stop on March 23 in Columbiana.

Robert Starcher, 49, Highland Avenue West, Salem, was fined $20 for disorderly conduct amended from obstructing official business for exiting his residence in an aggressive manner and approaching officers after a caller reported him chasing the caller through a house while in mental distress, with weapons located within the residence on Aug. 23 in Salem. He had turned back to the residence and a taser was deployed to stop him from going back inside

Jared Adams, 40, West Main Street, Salineville, was fined $100 for prohibition against violations of board for having a nuisance in the form of solid waste, tires and other items holding standing water at a property on state Route 9, Hanoverton. The Columbiana County General Health District issued a violation for the nuisance in November 2023 after he failed to obey an order issued Oct. 18, 2023.

Lysle Bishop, 53, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for animals at-large for Bishop’s dog running loose on Sept. 7 in East Liverpool.

Chad Richards, 35, West North Avenue, East Palestine, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended and credit for three days served, for failure to comply and resisting arrest. Charges of reckless operation and obstructing official business were dismissed. He was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service. Richards failed to follow the instruction of a police officer directing traffic after the fireworks display in East Palestine on July 4. He had been ordered to stop by the officer to allow other traffic to turn and for juveniles to cross the street, then he allegedly became impatient and began honking his horn and yelling and took off at a high rate of speed. When police made contact with him at his home on July 6, he resisted arrest, pulling away from officers and then pulling and pushing officers with his weight, causing an officer to slip to the ground.

Shawn Harpold and Dawn Harpold, no ages listed, both Spring Grove Avenue, East Liverpool, were each charged with four counts of failure to pay city income tax for allegedly failing to remit payment for East Liverpool city income tax for tax years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Richard McIlvain, 65, Ball Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $525 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI first offense and reasonable control. Another OVI charge was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was buying out 20 hours ordered for community service.

A pretrial was set Dec. 12 for Thomas Bevan Jr., 47, Apache Lane, Columbiana, charged with failure to move to left for public safety vehicle.

A pretrial was set Sept. 17 for Cagney Springer, 35, Penn Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with illegal plates and no valid license.

James Howell Jr., 59, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $250 for expired license and expired registration.

Nancy Jones, 63, Rauch Road, East Palestine, was fined $10 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Rolando Ransom Jr., 31, Youngstown, was fined $200 for no driver’s license, with a charge of expired registration dismissed.

A charge of assured clear distance was dismissed against Aaron Sublett, 58, Teegarden Road, Lisbon.

Grand Jury

LISBON — An East Liverpool man accused of attempting to harm a police officer with a deadly weapon identified as a hatchet/brass knuckles/knife was one of 23 defendants openly indicted by the Columbiana County Grand Jury.

The grand jury met for two days examining 65 witnesses covering 60 cases and on Wednesday issued 23 open indictments and 34 secret indictments, with three no bills meaning no indictment was issued in three cases. Secret indictments aren’t revealed until the defendant is served with the paperwork.

Kenneth R. Taylor, 45, Avondale Street, was indicted 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.

For the felonious assault, he allegedly caused or attempted to cause harm to a police officer by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance.

Also issued open indictments were:

— Clayton R. Murray, 24, East Martin Street, East Palestine, felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and misdemeanors of using weapons while intoxicated and three 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.

— Russell Lightner, 45, state Route 45, Lisbon, felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and misdemeanor assault for an alleged stabbing at the Frola Motel on July 26 on state Route 45 in Center Township where a woman reported being cut by Lightner, who entered the woman’s apartment and began to yell at her. The woman was injured and treated at East Liverpool City Hospital.

— Dakota McCluskey, 32, state Route 644, Kensington, three counts of second-degree felony burglary and one misdemeanor criminal trespass for alleged incidents on July 6 in Perry Township when he allegedly entered a West Pidgeon Road home and when police were looking for him, he allegedly entered an attached garage at a Hearthside Drive home. The residents were home at the time. While searching for him, police then heard shouting on West Pidgeon Road and him being escorted off of a property by two males where he entered a blocked off back yard.

— Brian Pearl, 55, East Clark Street, East Palestine, second-degree felony burglary for allegedly entering a Lisbon apartment on June 26 without permission by using a ladder to climb up to the second floor and crawling through a window, throwing items out the window.

— Nicholas Taulbee, 32, McKinley Avenue, Lisbon, fifth-degree felony aggravated menacing for allegedly making threats on July 6 to shoot up the county Department of Job and Family Services building in Lisbon and threatening physical harm to a Children Services employee, which elevated the charge to a felony.

— Nick Rhodes, 50, old state Route 344, Leetonia, third-degree felony tampering with evidence, and misdemeanors of aggravated menacing, domestic violence, obstructing official business and resisting arrest for allegedly threatening a woman with a knife during a domestic incident on July 21 in Leetonia where he broke the shifter of her vehicle, threatened to break the window when she locked him out of the vehicle and threw the knife at the rear driver’s side tire, causing the tire to deflate. He also allegedly tampered with the knife after the incident, ran and refused commands to place his hands behind his back and was tased, again running and then fighting with deputies handcuffing him.

— Daniel J. Hosek, 51, Munroe Falls, third-degree felony compelling prostitution with a specification for forfeiture of property, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and fifth-degree felonies of importuning and possessing criminal tools for allegedly requesting sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $160 from a female he believed to be 15 years old, but was an officer posing as a minor via a telecommunications device, then drove to Salem on Aug. 1 for the meeting, with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

— Ralph K. Lee, 47, Williams Avenue, East Liverpool, first-degree felony failure to verify residence address and fifth-degree felony breaking and entering for allegedly failing to verify where he lived on May 22 as required since he was a registered sex offender. On March 3 in East Liverpool, he was allegedly caught in the act of stealing three stained glass windows from a property on St. Clair Avenue.

— Tiffany Marie Woolley, 37, Vine Street, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony violation of a protection order for allegedly violating the terms of a protection order on Aug. 5 in East Liverpool by staying at a counseling center where she made contact with the protected person.

— Kip Bailey, 36, state Route 267, East Liverpool, two counts menacing by stalking, a fourth-degree felony, and misdemeanor criminal child enticement 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, and waiting and hiding from approaching vehicles. He also allegedly engaged in inappropriate and harmful talk to the juveniles, watching and continuously walking by the residence and peeling out in his vehicle.

— Thomas A. Watkins, 52, East North Avenue, East Palestine, fourth-degree felony strangulation and misdemeanors of cruelty to companion animals and two counts domestic violence for an alleged incident on July 3 in East Palestine when he made obscene comments to a woman, then dragged her dog Theo out of the kennel by his neck, picked him up by his neck and threw him at her. The dog hit her and fell to the ground, causing the dog to whine and run away from them. While the victim was attempting to get her dog, Watkins allegedly threw a muffin pan at her, hitting her in the back. Then she threw the pan back towards him and he allegedly retaliated by grabbing her by the arm, punching her in the jaw and putting his hands around her throat, causing her to not be able to breathe. She struck him in the eye and he let go of her and as she was leaving with her dog, he allegedly pushed her out the back door.

— Sarah Jakacki, 39, North Market Street, Lisbon, fifth-degree felony carrying a concealed weapon for allegedly failing to disclose that a loaded firearm was inside the vehicle during a traffic stop on June 24 in Center Township.

— Brandon Dunn, 39, Chester, W.Va., fifth-degree felony escape and misdemeanor driving under suspension for allegedly taking off a GPS unit and leaving Salem Regional Medical Center on July 28 after being told by deputies that he would be charged if he left the hospital where he had been taken from the jail for chest pains. Hospital staff reported that he took off the GPS unit and left. The driving under suspension stemmed from a traffic stop July 26.

— Seth Portwood, 19, Elton Road, Columbiana, third-degree felony failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer for a police chase that started in Salem in the Walmart parking lot, traveled into Leetonia and ended outside Columbiana state Route 164 at Renkenberger Road on May 24.

— Ryan Vujo Polojac, 25, Riley Avenue, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property for allegedly using a stolen credit card at Rich Oil in Wellsville on Dec. 25, 2023.

— Alexander Ashley, 19, Tallmadge, fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, for allegedly trespassing in a Wellsville home on July 28 with others.

— Storm McDonald, 21, Akron, fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, for allegedly trespassing in a Wellsville home on July 28 with others.

— Faith Jones, 20, Akron, fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, for allegedly trespassing in a Wellsville home on July 28 with others.

— Chase McDonald, 18, Akron, fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, for allegedly trespassing in a Wellsville home on July 28 with others.

— Hunter Congrove, 21, state Route 45, Lisbon, two counts fourth-degree felony assault and misdemeanors of aggravated menacing, obstructing official business and resisting arrest for allegedly biting a police officer, attempting to grab his taser and kicking another police officer in the face during a physical altercation while they were trying to take him into custody for an incident in St. Clair Township on July 26. He started to resist and got into the altercation with police, who took him to the ground and tased him during the scuffle. He also allegedly gave several fake names and lied about his identity.

— Jessica Jean Morris, 47, Grandview Street, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony harassment with a bodily substance, and misdemeanors of resisting arrest, obstructing official business and disorderly conduct for allegedly spitting on the arm of a police officer after being taken into custody and taken to the police station in East Liverpool for being severely intoxicated on Aug. 18 and refusing to get into a police cruiser for a ride home.

— John Soltysiak, 63, Goshen Road, Salem, 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.