Common Pleas

New Cases

Cathalene Endsley, North Market Street, Lisbon, vs. Tyler Endsley, U.S. Route 30, Lisbon; dissolution sought.

Riga Capital Partners, LLC, Los Angeles, Calif. vs. Donald Chestnut, state Route 517, Lisbon, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Docket Entries

Commercial Distribution Specialists, Inc. vs. Boggs Home Improvements LLC, et al.; $51,911 judgment granted to plaintiff, plaintiff’s request for attorney fees denied.

JPMorgan Chase Bank vs. Willie Coleman, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Columbiana County property.

U.S. Bank National Association vs. Anthony Constantino, et al.; case settled and dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Lorie Lloyd, et al.; case stayed due to bankruptcy filing.

County Treasurer vs. Josh Van Horn, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed, taxes for one parcel paid, with that parcel dismissed from complaint.

County Treasurer vs. Scott Lefleme, et al.; case dismissed.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Two drug defendants were served Tuesday in Pennsylvania with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury, including:

— David Hitt, 36, last known address Mound Street, Salem, charged in two separate cases, for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on Jan. 13, 2021, and for fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and third-degree felony tampering with evidence for allegedly possessing methamphetamine and tampering with evidence on April 29, 2020.

— Charlene Martinez, 39, Slippery Rock, Pa., possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing cocaine on Aug. 18, 2023.

Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man accused of possessing cocaine was sentenced in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to nine months in prison.

Mark Coleman, 57, Y & O Road, previously entered a guilty plea to the fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine charge for possessing cocaine on July 24, 2022. He received credit for two days served in jail.

A Steubenville man who wanted the evidence in the case against him for alleged cocaine trafficking and possession thrown out had his motion to suppress denied.

James Swearingen, 44, Steubenville, is facing charges of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine, both first-degree felonies, with specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case. A status hearing is set for Jan. 23 and a jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 3.

According to the judgment entry signed by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam, Swearingen’s defense attorney claimed there was no reasonable suspicion for the traffic stop on June 11, 2022 in St. Clair Township, but Washam disagreed. A K-9 unit was called to the scene and arrived in less than 10 minutes and did not unreasonably prolong the time of the traffic stop, according to the ruling.

Swearingen was accused of preparing to sell and possessing cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 27 grams but less than 100 grams and also possessed $1,691.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Brandon Phillips, 22, South Egypt Road, Salem, was placed under community control for three years for fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, but was also ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is successfully completed. He received credit for 15 days served in jail. Phillips possessed methamphetamine on Sept. 1, 2022.

— Jonathan Collins, 48, Norwalk, pleaded guilty to prosecutor’s information for fourth-degree felony charges of attempted compelling prostitution and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor as part of a plea deal, with sentencing set for Feb. 3. According to affidavits filed by an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force in county Municipal Court, Collins allegedly requested sexual conduct from an agent he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for an agreed upon price of $160, traveling to Salem on Aug. 22 for the meeting.

— Sujit K. Male, 34, McKees Rocks, Pa., pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution, with sentencing set for Feb. 7. Charges of fifth-degree felony possession of criminal tools and third-degree felony compelling prostitution will be dismissed. Male was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of an adult female and a 15-year-old minor and arranging for sexual conduct with both females for $160, driving to East Palestine on Jan. 24 for the meeting.

— Timothy Adkins, 48, Rose Drive, Lisbon, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with credit for 200 days already served in jail, for fourth-degree felony menacing by stalking and fifth-degree felonies of telecommunications harassment and theft. Charges of fifth-degree felony telecommunications fraud and misdemeanors of misuse of a credit card and theft were dismissed. He was ordered to pay restitution of $15.97. The menacing and harassment charges stemmed from Nov. 14, 2023 to April 12, 2024 when he engaged in a pattern of conduct to cause a woman to believe he would cause her physical harm and also harassed her. The other charges stemmed from Jan. 15, 2024 when he stole the woman’s credit card, misused the credit card and stole $15.97 from the woman while also committing telecommunications fraud.

— Valorie Hammond, 36, North Market Street, East Palestine, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony obstructing official business, a lesser included offense, and fifth-degree felonies of theft and possessing criminal tools, with sentencing set for Feb. 7. She was originally charged with third-degree felony escape. A misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business will be dismissed. Hammond was accused of stealing $2,295 worth of merchandise from Dunham Sports in a duffle bag and trying to flee when police arrived on April 9 in Calcutta.

— Richard Whitman, 53, East Fifth Street, Salem, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for fourth-degree felony domestic violence, a lesser included offense, for striking a woman two times in the face during a domestic on June 5 in Salem. The domestic violence charge was originally a third-degree felony. He had a previous conviction for domestic violence.

— Lorena Cope, 59, state Route 558, Leetonia, was ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Lisbon, with her community control continued until Sept. 6, 2027 after violating the terms of her probation for fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of drugs for possessing methamphetamine and clonazepam on June 17, 2023.

— Randall Morris, 60, Trinity Church Road, Lisbon, pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of both-OVI, a misdemeanor, and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Dec. 19. Other counts of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and OVI will be dismissed. Morris was accused of possessing a loaded handgun in his disabled vehicle when a trooper found him impaired Nov. 25, 2023.