Court News

LISBON — A motion to suppress evidence found in a vehicle during a search was denied in a case against Joseph DeDarro II, 31, Duke Vodrey Road, East Liverpool, in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

A motion to suppress had already been denied for the execution of the search warrant at his Cadmus Street property on Feb. 8, 2024. Charges against him included third-degree felony tampering with evidence and first-degree felonies of two counts trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, two counts possession of a fentanyl-related compound, trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine. The indictment also included specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case and major drug offender-fentanyl. The search warrant did not include the vehicle which belonged to a relative, but during an open air sniff, K-9 Csuti alerted on the vehicle and the county Drug Task Force located a ziplock bag with thousands of fentanyl pills inside a cereal box. The defendant had the key to the vehicle in his pocket. When K-9 Csuti alerted on the vehicle, that established probable cause for the search, the ruling said.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Jonathan Collins, 48, Norwalk, was sentenced to nine months in prison for attempted compelling prostitution and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, both fourth-degree felonies. He was also designated a Tier II sex offender requiring him to register as a sex offender with the sheriff’s office once he’s released. According to affidavits filed by an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force in county Municipal Court, Collins 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, 2024 for the meeting.

— Luis Rodriguez Cortada, 48, Struthers, was sentenced to nine months in prison for improperly carrying a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, with credit for 50 days already served. Charges of carrying a concealed weapon, a fourth-degree felony, and having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony, were dismissed. During a traffic stop on Sept. 9, 2021 in Perry Township, Cortada had a loaded handgun in the glovebox and was prohibited from having a gun due to a previous drug conviction.

— Robert R. Smith, 48, last known address Hammond School Road, Wellsville, had one motion to withdraw plea denied for charges of burglary and assault, but had a motion to withdraw plea granted in a separate case for receiving stolen property. A final status hearing was set March 31, with a jury trial set for May 13 in the case for fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property for possessing an equipment trailer which was the property of Kevin Chronister on Aug. 19, 2023. Sentencing was reset for March 31 in the other case for a lesser offense of third-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor assault for returning to the Hammond School Road property April 26, 2023 after being evicted, kicking in the door and assaulting a person who was working inside. He had been scheduled for sentencing previously, but it’s been delayed twice after he terminated one attorney and then got another one, then filed the motion to withdraw plea which was denied.

— Jacqueline Riley, 38, McKinnon Road, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, a first-degree felony, with a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case. Sentencing was set for April 4. Riley’s motion to suppress evidence in the case was recently denied. She was accused of possessing cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 27 grams, but less than 100 grams, along with possessing $1,860. Charges of trafficking in cocaine, aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs will be dismissed.

— Jeremy Mahalek, 43, Franklin Square Road, Leetonia, was ordered evaluated by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio for competency to stand trial and plead not guilty by reason of insanity for second-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor criminal trespass. He allegedly trespassed in an occupied residence and on a property on Sept. 3, 2021.

— Cameron Yarwood, 46, Niles, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Lisbon for charges from three separate indictments for four counts of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case, and attempted illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, a fourth-degree felony. Yarwood possessed methamphetamine on Sept. 2, 2022, Nov. 13, 2023, Nov. 16, 2023 and Sept. 1, 2022 and possessed $161 on Sept. 2, 2022. The incident for bringing drugs to a detention facility occurred on Nov. 13, 2023.

— Solomon Yoder, 25, Burton, was placed on an intervention plan for two years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on March 25, 2021. He was ordered to forfeit $20.

— Jessica Fitzpatrick, 39, Uniontown, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to two counts of nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to pay child support for two children from Aug. 28, 2022 to Aug. 25, 2024.

— David Wright, 30, last known address Norton Street, East Liverpool, was ordered to spend 124 days in jail, with 24 days suspended, leaving a balance of 100 days still to spend in jail for violating his probation for three counts of possession of drugs and one count of aggravated possession of drugs, all fifth-degree felonies, from cases in 2018 and 2019.

— Jamie Tice Jr., 24, South Grant Boulevard, Minerva, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Wintersville for harassment with a bodily substance, a fifth-degree felony, and aggravated possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on June 30, 2023 and for harassing a corrections officer at the county jail with a bodily substance on Jan. 26, 2024.

— Timothy Thrasher, 29, Lincoln Avenue, Wellsville, was sentenced to 90 days in jail after violating the terms of his intervention plan for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing hydrocodone on May 4, 2022.

— James Craig, 40, Florence Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, with credit for 20 days served, for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them, a third-degree felony. He was also fined $1,350 and his driver’s license was suspended for life. Charges of driving under suspension, a misdemeanor, and an additional count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them – OVI, a third-degree felony, were dismissed. The offenses stemmed from a Nov. 30, 2023 incident when Craig was allegedly driving impaired. He had a previous OVI felony conviction from Sept. 19, 2022 and at least five or more previous OVI misdemeanor convictions.

— John Ritchie, 61, County Home Road, Lisbon, was ordered to spend 270 days in jail, with credit for 187 days served, leaving a total of 83 days still to serve in jail for violation his probation for charges of passing bad checks, theft and forgery, all fifth-degree felonies, for allegedly defrauding Super USA with a bad check for $4,850.

— Bobbi Stoddard, 53, Park Avenue, East Palestine, was placed on an intervention plan for three years after pleading guilty to two counts aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and possession of drugs, a misdemeanor, for possessing methamphetamine, amphetamine and zolpidem on May 15, 2023.