Municipal Court

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a case against Michael Young, 43, Ravine Street, East Liverpool, was bound over to the county grand jury for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly keeping a woman’s vehicle for longer than permitted on April 20 and going out of state with the vehicle.

A pretrial was set Oct. 31 for Lisa Robinson, 53, Mt. Sterling, charged with domestic violence for allegedly hitting a man in the side of the face during an incident on May 19 in Washington Township.

A pretrial was set Nov. 12 for Alexander Garcia, 43, Independence Square, Wellsville, charged with domestic violence for allegedly beating up a woman and restraining her from leaving to call the police on April 12 in Wellsville.

A status conference hearing was set Jan. 7 and a court trial was set Jan. 16 for Wayne Gorby, 25, North Main Street, Columbiana, charged with endangering children for allegedly spanking a child to the point of bruising, then shoving a chicken nugget into the emotionally upset child on Jan. 14 in Columbiana.

Shawna Kerns, 38, West Wilson Street, Salem, was fined $200 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended and credit for two days served, leaving a balance of eight days still to serve in jail for endangering children. She was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and a parenting course. Kerns was accused of failing to come to a child’s aid when the child was being assaulted in another room of the residence on Dec. 7, 2023 in Salem. The affidavit from a Salem police officer alleged that from a video of the assault, officers could see the wall the victim was on connected with the kitchen where Kerns was and the victim’s cries for help could have been heard along with the sounds of the victim being struck.

Michael Edward Platek, 56, Bellevue, Pa., 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 an online prostitution prevention course. Platek responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a female in exchange for cash, then traveled to East Palestine on April 9 for the meeting.

Ronald Orsulak, 57, East McKeesport, Pa., was fined $250 and given a suspended 60-day jail term for possessing criminal tools, with a charge of engaging in prostitution dismissed. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and an online prostitution prevention course. Orsulak was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $140, then traveling to East Palestine on March 31 for the meeting.

Erich Mericle, 40, Allen Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $350 and sentenced to three days in jail, with credit for three days served, for disorderly conduct-intoxication and driving under suspension. A charge of obstructing official business was dismissed. On July 15, 2023, Mericle allegedly walked into the road in Columbiana multiple times after being told by police to sit on the curb after they were called for a medical and he allegedly admitted to taking mushrooms and appeared to be under the influence of a narcotic. As officers escorted him to an ambulance, he pulled away and laid down in the middle of the street.

Makayla Newlun, 24, Fawcett Street, East Liverpool, was fined $250 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for disorderly conduct amended from theft. She was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and to have no contact with the Calcutta Walmart. She was accused of failing to scan and pay for 12 items valued at $141.61 at the Calcutta Walmart on Aug. 10.

Zachary Davis and Sarah Davis, whose ages were not listed, both Maplewood Avenue, East Liverpool, were each fined $500 for each of six counts of failure to pay city income tax, with all but $50 of their fines suspended, for failing to remit payment for East Liverpool city income taxes from 2018 through 2023.

Kenneth Colarte, 34, Marienville, Pa., was fined $500 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 81 days suspended and credit for one day served, leaving a balance of eight days still to serve in jail for endangering children. He was also fined $1,025 and sentenced to an additional 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for operating a vehicle impaired and marked lanes. The two terms were ordered served consecutive to each other. His driver’s license was suspended for one year. He was also ordered to complete 80 hours community service and a parenting course. Colarte was driving impaired with a child in the vehicle on April 4 in Fairfield Township and stopped by a trooper.

Ryan Faulkner, 29, Y & O Road, Wellsville, 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 left of center. Another OVI charge was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and he was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

A pretrial was set Dec. 23 for Cody Landsberger, 31, Fairfield School Road, Columbiana, charged with driving under suspension and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set Jan. 14 for Tonya Bebout, 48, Wells Avenue, Wellsville, charged with driving under suspension and expired registration.

A pretrial was set Dec. 30 for Garrett Bowling, 31, Rebecca Street, Columbiana, charged with driving under suspension and a headlights violation.

A pretrial was set Dec. 30 for Mark Thomas, 43, Harding Avenue, Salem, charged with driving under suspension and no seat belt.

Michael Kassander, 32, Warren, was fined $205 for speeding and no license amended from driving under suspension.

Charges of stop sign and headlights violations were dismissed in a case against Seth Portwood, 19, Elton Road, Columbiana, who was ordered to pay court costs.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Mary Grace James, Monroe Avenue, Salem, vs. Ronald James, Fair Avenue, Salem; divorce sought.

BMO Bank, Lake Zurich, Ill., vs. Diane Little, Stump Road, Minerva, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Stump Road, Minerva property.

Citizens Bank, Glen Allen, Va., vs. unknown spouse, etc. of Thomas R. Wilde, and Priscilla Wilde, East Third Street, Salem, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for East Third Street, Salem property.

Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC, Buffalo, N.Y., vs. Aaron Varner, Ansley Way, Salem, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Lynetta Herold, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Michael Ashby Sr., et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Fairfield School Road, Leetonia, property.

County Treasurer vs. Dannie McCuean, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Donna J. Buzzard, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Edgewood Street, East Liverpool property.

Whitney Clegg and Nicholas Clegg; dissolution granted.

Melissa Shannon vs. Rite Aid of Ohio, In.c, et al.; case settled and dismissed.

Truist Bank vs. Doug Fisher; $32,737 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man accused of trafficking and possessing more than 100 grams of cocaine was sentenced to an indefinite term of seven to 10 1/2 years in prison.

James Keys Jr., 38, College Street, appeared for sentencing recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for first-degree felonies of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine, each with two specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case.

Specifications for being a major drug offender will be dismissed.

Keys also received a mandatory fine of $10,000 for each count, along with forfeitures of money he possessed at the time of the drug incident. Keys was accused of trying to sell and possessing an amount of cocaine exceeding 100 grams and possessing money in amounts of $7,065 and $250. The major drug offender specification noted the amount of cocaine was 200.65 grams.

Keys was ordered to forfeit the money from the specifications for $7,065 and $250.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— William Keyes, 46, Claibourne Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to an indefinite two of two to three years in prison after pleading guilty to felonious assault, a second-degree felony. He received credit for 302 days already served in jail and was ordered to pay restitution with two co-defendants of $1,130 to the victim. Keyes knowingly caused serious physical harm to the victim on July 15, 2023.

— Mark Coleman, 57, Y & O Road, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Dec. 2. Coleman possessed cocaine on July 24, 2022.

— Ryan Blystone, 45, Claibourne Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony lesser included offense, ad possession of fentanyl-related compound, a fourth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Nov. 4. The aggravated drug charge was originally a second-degree felony. On May 16, 2023, Blystone was accused of possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk and possessing fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 1 gram but less than 5 grams.

— Malik Pullie, 27, Commerce Street, Wellsville, was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing cocaine on Oct. 14, 2023. He received credit for one day served in jail.

— Megan McDonald, 36, Chester, W.Va., was placed under community control for three years during sentencing for two separate indictments for charges of fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanors of attempted possession of fentanyl, attempted possession of cocaine and attempted receiving stolen property. She received credit for two days served in jail. On Aug. 2, 2021, she possessed methamphetamine and attempted to possess fentanyl and cocaine. On March 29, 2016, she was involved in an incident of attempted receiving stolen property.

— Rusty Boyer, 24, Washington Street, Washingtonville, was sentenced to nine months in prison for violating his probation for a fifth-degree felony charge of aggravated possession of drugs, receiving credit for 165 days already served. Boyer possessed methamphetamine on Dec. 24, 2021 in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk, but less than 50 times bulk. His community control was dishonorably terminated.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Charles Dorsey, 52, East Perry Street, Salem, was served Tuesday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on May 29, 2023.