Grand Jury

LISBON — A Tennessee man accused of having sexual contact with a child over a five-year period starting when the child was 6 years old was served Tuesday with a secret indictment for two sex-related counts.

Allen Owens, 59, Riceville, was served with the paperwork in Athens, Tenn. for two counts of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony. The charges were issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury.

According to the indictment, Owens allegedly had sexual contact with the child from April 21, 2019 to Dec. 20, 2023.

Also served with a secret indictment Tuesday was:

— Robert C. Johnson, 37, Jones Drive, Salem, failure to provide notice of change of address, a third-degree felony, for failing to notify the sheriff’s office of a change in address on Oct. 21 as required since he’s a registered sex offender.

Court News

LISBON — A Wellsville man accused of theft and other charges for accessing someone else’s food assistance card to make purchases was placed on an intervention plan for 18 months.

Michael McDowell, 37, Aten Avenue, pleaded guilty recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to fifth-degree felonies of illegal use of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits or WIC program benefits and telecommunications fraud and misdemeanor theft and was then placed on the intervention plan.

He had been indicted for taking the numbers and pins from a woman’s food assistance card and using it for purchases of $325 at Save A lot and $31.23 at King’s Carryout, both in Wellsville, for a total of $356.58 stolen, on Feb. 21, 2024.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Thomas Shafer, 66, Hillcrest Avenue, Hanoverton, pleaded guilty to having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony, for allegedly having a firearm on Nov. 5, 2023 while prohibited from having a firearm due to a previous felony conviction. Sentencing was set for March 7.

— Michael Gately, 37, Diamond, was placed under community control until July 13, 2025 for attempted aggravated possession of drugs after his an intervention plan was dishonorably terminated for violations. He had originally been placed on the intervention plan for two years after pleading guilty to the lesser offense of attempted aggravated possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony, with a specification for money from a drug case. He was originally indicted for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Sept. 9, 2021. He had been ordered to forfeit $228.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set Jan. 13 for Jason Milliron, 47, Wedgewood Street, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly grabbing a juvenile female by the hair and striking her head off of the ground several times causing injury in East Liverpool on Dec. 25.

A pretrial was set Jan. 16 for Tristan Taylor, 32, Commerce Street, Wellsville, charged with domestic violence for allegedly assaulting a woman on Dec. 25 in Wellsville, pulling her and fighting with her, ripping her purse and the sleeve off of her jacket. She also had a small cut on her finger.

A pretrial was set Jan. 13 for Gregory Morris, 60, West State Street, Salem, charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly threatening a woman after she advised she would call police. The victim allegedly said he threatened to cut her throat while holding a large kitchen knife on Dec. 24 in Perry Township.

A pretrial was set April 1 for Roy Benny Helmick, 46, Gaston, S.C., charged with engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with females in exchange for $240, then traveling to East Palestine on Dec. 23 for the meeting, with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession, along with an alleged meth pipe.

A pretrial was set March 27 for Cody Reckner, 30, West Wilson Street, Salem, charged with operating a vehicle impaired third offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years, reckless operation and no seat belt.