Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Neil Brown, Harvey Avenue, Lisbon, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Harvey Avenue, Lisbon property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Jessica Rae Allen, Rochester Road, East Rochester, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Rochester Road, East Rochester property.

Tiffany Davenport, High Street, Washingtonville, and Tyler Davenport, Clinton, Pa.; dissolution sought.

Christina Seeley, East State Street, Salem, vs. Joshua Seeley, Caldwell; divorce sought.

Paige Compton, Steubenville Pike Road, Hammondsville, and E. Drake Compton, County Airport Road, East Liverpool; dissolution sought.

Elizabeth Carver, West Ely Street, Alliance, and Gregory Carver, Parkway Boulevard, Alliance; dissolution sought.

Janet Shaffer, Carey Road, Salem, and Bryan Shaffer, state Route 172, Lisbon; dissolution sought.

PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, Westlake Village, Calif., vs. Cynthia Rae Hickman, state Route 164, Leetonia, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for state Route 164, Leetonia property.

Docket Entries

Nicole Bacon Baker vs. Brady Baker; divorce granted.

County Treasurer vs. Elmer McBane, et al.; cross claim granted to Huntington Bank on foreclosure for Bill Smith Road, Wellsville property.

County Treasurer vs. Theresa Smith, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. Tara Glista; payment plan entered, case stayed.

Court News

LISBON — William Stinson, 56, Liberty Street, Salem, pleaded guilty in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to attempted possession of cocaine, a misdemeanor lesser included offense, with a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case. He was originally charged with fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine. He was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail, with 179 days suspended and credit for one day already served, leaving no jail time to serve. He was ordered to forfeit $260. Stinson possessed cocaine and $260 on May 20, 2021.

Grand Jury

Secret Indictment

LISBON — Meagan Conte, 36, Freedom, Pa., was served recently with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for possession of fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing fentanyl on May 13, 2024.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set March 13 for Derek Calvin, 34, Canfield, charged with second-degree felony burglary for allegedly forcing entry into a home in Fairfield Township, damaging some household items, ransacking the home and taking property belonging to the victim on March 4. A vehicle was stuck in the back yard and the victim and another witness identified it as belonging to Calvin.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set March 24 for Melissa Brink, 44, Franklin Avenue, Salem, charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing items for the storage, measuring and use of dangerous drugs, including pipes, bags and scales, after a search of her room at the Stables Inn on East Pershing Street, Salem on March 5. When police were serving the search warrant, she allegedly went into the bathroom and attempted to destroy, alter and make unavailable evidence knowing an investigation was ongoing. A broken glass pipe was recovered from the floor, along with two bags of dangerous drugs thrown but missing the toilet, landing on the floor.

A fifth-degree felony domestic violence charge was dismissed against Kevin Bacher Jr., 37, East State Street, Salem, at the request of the state. Bacher had been accused of allegedly grabbing a woman by the neck with both hands and lifting her off of the ground on Oct. 31, 2024 in Salem.

A jury trial was set March 12 for Bryan Anthony Veglia, 33, Duke Vodrey Road, East Liverpool, charged with two counts of assault and two counts of criminal damaging. A separate jury trial was set March 19 against Veglia for operating a vehicle impaired first offense, OVI breath first offense and a tail lights violation. The assaults and criminal damaging charges stemmed from an alleged for incident July 28, 2024 in Wellsville when he harmed a woman. He also smashed into a vehicle with his vehicle, causing damage to a fence.

Bianca Smith, 36, East Main Street, East Palestine, was fined $350 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 179 days suspended and credit for one day served, for assault and menacing amended from menacing by stalking. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. Smith was accused of poking a woman in the eye after shouting at her and threatening her on May 25, 2024 at a residential care home in East Palestine.

A pretrial was set May 22 for Caiden Grace, 18, Center Street, Wellsville, charged with assault for allegedly slapping a juvenile in the face and trying to grab him after yelling at him on Feb. 22 in Wellsville.

A pretrial was set March 24 for Ryan Cooper, 33, 10th Street, Wellsville, charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly threatening a woman in the Calcutta Walmart on Oct. 16, 2024, saying he was going to kill her and knew where she lived.

A pretrial was set May 27 for Octavius L. Clark, 47, Youngstown, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly requesting sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $100 from an undercover agent, traveling to Salem on March 5 with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. According to the agent’s affidavit, Clark had allegedly considered bringing his children to the meet. He was also charged as a fugitive from justice for an active warrant out of Mercer County, Pa., for a probation violation stemming from a narcotics charge. He waived extradition to Pennsylvania.

A status conference hearing was set May 22 and a court trial was set May 29 for Michael J. Fitzgerald, 46, Clarendon, Pa., charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly using his cell phone to engage a female and her adult daughter in a sexual act with payment to be made with drugs, specifically with methamphetamine, in East Palestine on Feb. 28, 2023.

Dakota Baker, 29, North Shady Lane, East Liverpool, was fined $150 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended and credit for nine days served, leaving a balance of 21 days still to serve for domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. He struck a woman in the back of the head multiple times after coming into her Center Township residence while she was sleeping on Feb. 25.

Dallas Gotschall, 18, South Beaver Street, Lisbon, was fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for two days served, for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Gotschall was accused of striking another male in the face with a closed fist on Jan. 21 in Lisbon.

A pretrial was set April 28 for Elwood Williams, 26, Railroad Street, East Liverpool, charged with criminal damaging for allegedly destroying tables and chairs thrown out into the front of an apartment in East Liverpool and creating holes in the kitchen ceiling and wall on March 4.

A pretrial was set May 27 for Paul Beaver, 35, Orchard Street, East Liverpool, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing in a condemned property on Avondale Avenue, East Liverpool on Jan. 27.

A pretrial was set April 24 for Shawn Harpold, 45, Spring Grove Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with endangering children and drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a burnt pipe and creating a substantial risk to the health and safety of a child who was 2-years-old wandering in a yard alone with no pants on in 21-degree weather in East Liverpool on March 2 when Harpold was supposed to be watching the child.

A pretrial was set May 22 for Ariel Durham, 36, Duck Creek Road, Salem, charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct for allegedly being at a property on Rose Drive, Lisbon on March 5 after she had been prohibited from the property. She also allegedly refused to identify herself to Lisbon police and get up when told to leave a property on Jan. 28.

Teresa Whitehead, 50, Youngstown, was fined $300 and sentenced to 10 days in jail, with credit for six days served, leaving a balance of four days still to serve in jail for obstructing official business and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for giving police several fake/false social security numbers and a fake/false last name during a traffic stop on Jan. 27, 2021 in Salem while there was a warrant for her arrest. She also possessed a glass pipe with burnt residue.

Lori Macek, 54, Stagecoach Road, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for disorderly conduct amended from theft for failing to scan and pay for six items totaling $38 at the Calcutta Walmart on June 1, 2024.

A pretrial was set April 24 for Charles Wilke, 29, Vine Street, East Liverpool, charged with resisting arrest and possess instruments to ingest for allegedly attempting to flee and resisting when a deputy approached him at Dollar General in Lisbon on March 4 for an arrest warrant out of Pennsylvania. He possessed suspected crack cocaine at the time.

Jason Sorrell, 50, U.S. Route 62, Beloit, was fined $150 and sentenced to three days in jail, with credit for three days served, for illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. He possessed a baggy with a white crystal-like substance during a traffic stop March 4 in Salem.

Greg Dray, 66, Longs Church Road, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for maximum permissible height of weeds due to his grass and weeds being more than 12 inches high at a Chester Avenue, East Liverpool property on June 3, 2024, in violation of city housing code.

Noah Lacey, 24, Etruria Street, East Liverpool, was fined $500 each for four counts of failure to file city income tax return, with all but $50 of the fine suspended on the condition that the defendant remain in compliance with city tax codes and the payment plan. Lacey failed to file East Liverpool city income tax returns in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Sentencing was set May 27 for Kristine Smith, no age listed, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Liverpool, who pleaded guilty to six counts of failure to file city income tax return for failing to file East Liverpool city income tax returns from 2019 through 2024.

A pretrial was set May 1 for William Taylor, 29, McKinley Avenue, Lisbon, charged with operating a vehicle impaired and speeding.

A disposition hearing was set March 27 for Joseph Jolly, 38, Eutaw Street, East Liverpool, charged with OVI first offense and loud exhaust.

Chelsea Dackiewicz, 37, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem, was fined $1,025 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 165 days suspended, leaving a balance of 15 days still to serve in jail for OVI and reasonable control. Another OVI charge was dismissed. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year and she was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Tawney Dobritz, 49, North Market Street, East Palestine, was fined $1,305 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 174 suspended, leaving a balance of six days still to serve in jail for OVI, driving under suspension, no seat belt and a headlights violation. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year and she was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Tiffany Herron, 40, Saline Street, Irondale, was fined $300 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for driving under suspension and unauthorized plate.

Joshua Little, 31, Rochester Road, East Rochester, was fined $150 for an equipment violation amended from reasonable control.

Carlos Torres, 34, McKeesport, Pa., was fined $50 for reasonable control, with a charge of child restraint dismissed.

Zuhridden Nishonov, 22, Cuyahoga Falls, was fined $30 for an equipment violation amended from failure to control.

Brandy Wiggins, 36, Cannons Mill Road, East Liverpool, was fined $175 for speeding and driving under suspension.

A charge of 12-point suspension was dismissed against Payton Blaine Photiou, 19, Youngstown.

A charge of expired tags was dismissed against Ralph Woods, 75, Youngstown.

A pretrial was set May 6 for Brandon Renwick, 32, Bonneau, S.C., charged with driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set May 27 for Christina Butera, 19, New Cumberland, W.Va., charged with use of unauthorized plate and a stop sign violation.

Travis Bragg, 26, Benton Road, Salem, was fined $75 for speeding.

Chelsea Weekly, 22, Malvern, was fined $50 for speeding, with no fine for a driving under suspension charge.

Norman Shields, 54, Y & O Road, East Liverpool, was fined $200 for speeding and driving under suspension.

Grand Jury

LISBON — A case involving a man accused of breaking into an apartment and running away with potatoes and cigarettes was one of 16 open indictments issued Wednesday.

The Columbiana County Grand Jury met for two days examining 50 witnesses and covering 50 cases, issuing 16 open indictments and 34 secret indictments. Secret indictments remain secret until the defendant is served with the paperwork.

Homer Scott Linger, 49, West Sixth Street, East Liverpool, was charged with a second-degree felony burglary charge for allegedly breaking into an apartment in East Liverpool on Jan. 18. A police affidavit said he was allegedly seen by the residents running from the apartment with a bag of potatoes and cigarettes in his hands.

Also openly indicted for second-degree felony burglary, along with fourth-degree felony grand theft, was Joseph M. Savin Jr., 39, Clark Avenue, Wellsville. Savin allegedly stole a Kubota tractor from a garage he broke into in Wellsville between Dec. 28, 2024 through Jan. 4 this year, with the Kubota reported missing on Jan. 3. He was pulled over with the Kubota in East Palestine and allegedly admitted to taking it and leaving it on a friend’s property in Toronto.

Other open indictments included:

— Mathew E. Shelton, 26, state Route 154, Lisbon, failure to provide notice of change of address, a first-degree felony, for allegedly failing to register his address with the county sheriff’s office within three days of moving, as he was required since he’s a convicted sex offender. He reported on Jan. 22, but said he moved to the county on Dec. 11, 2024.

— Christopher Osborne, 44, Riley Avenue, East Liverpool, two separate indictments, one for third-degree felony failure to provide notice of change of address, and one for fourth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanor domestic violence. Osborne allegedly registered a Wellsville address with the county sheriff’s office in October 2014 as required since he’s a Tier II sex offender, but then listed an address in East Liverpool when he was booked into the county jail on Jan. 19. He was required to notify the sheriff’s office 20 days prior to changing his address, an affidavit said. The domestic violence charges stemmed from him allegedly busting through a door and charging at a woman, then shoving her into a wall, causing her to drop to her knees on Jan. 19 in East Liverpool.

— Jontay Johnson, 30, Laura Avenue, East Liverpool, third-degree felony domestic violence, fourth-degree felony strangulation, and misdemeanors of obstructing official business and domestic violence for allegedly causing harm to a woman and strangling her on Jan. 27, 2025, with at least three previous convictions for domestic violence on his record. On Jan. 28, he allegedly obstructed officials and caused harm to the woman.

— Nashua Jenkins, 27, South Lincoln Avenue, Salem, fourth-degree felony strangulation and two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly assaulting a woman on Jan. 20 in Salem, choking her during the altercation.

— Hope Jackson-Ingram, 31, Broadway Avenue, Wellsville, misdemeanors of domestic violence and endangering children for allegedly choking a teen girl during a domestic on Dec. 13, 2024 in Wellsville.

— Richard Vecchio, 62, state Route 164, Lisbon, fourth-degree felony assault and misdemeanors of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for allegedly standing in the middle of North Market Street in Lisbon while intoxicated, approaching vehicles as they slowed down and hitting their windows on Feb. 5. He allegedly resisted arrest and pulled away from officers attempting to take him into custody. He also allegedly kicked an officer in the shin two times while being placed in the cruiser.

— Jaden Koehn, 22, Mountz Road, Minerva, two counts of fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present for allegedly trespassing into two separate Minerva area properties while residents were home, including with children present, on Feb. 4.

— Kevin Frazier, 43, May Road, East Liverpool, misdemeanors of criminal damaging and unauthorized use of a vehicle for allegedly taking a woman’s 1997 Chevy GMC without permission and then wrecking it, causing damage on Jan. 31.

— Heidi Gallagher, 59, West Sixth Street, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property and misdemeanor theft for allegedly using a stolen debit card to pay a cell phone bill and buy items at two businesses on May 14, 2024, with the total stolen $424.

— Randy T. Farmer-Reese, 36, Youngstown, fourth-degree felony promoting prostitution and fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools for allegedly driving a woman to a sex for hire meeting in East Palestine on Nov. 23, with at least one of the phone numbers the woman used to communicate with an undercover agent allegedly coming from Reese’s phone.

— James R. Lemmon, 41, Mingo Junction, fourth-degree felony attempt to commit an offense, fifth-degree felony trafficking in marijuana, and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. Lemmon was accused of allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual acts with a female in exchange for drugs, traveling to East Palestine on Nov. 25, 2024 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. He also allegedly possessed 14 individually packaged baggies of marijuana at the scene and on Nov. 27, 2024 he allegedly contacted a woman to factory reset his cell phone and walked her through the steps to do it, which was considered an attempt to tamper with evidence.

— Ronald Harper, 37, North Market Street, East Palestine, fourth-degree felony grand theft of a motor vehicle and misdemeanors of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them, and three counts of OVI of a listed controlled substance or a listed metabolite of a controlled substance. Harper allegedly stole a 2014 Ford Focus in East Palestine Circle K on Nov. 7 while impaired, with the indictment listing methamphetamine, amphetamine and marijuana all in his system at the time.

— William McFarland Jr., 33, Lisbon Road, Salem, third-degree felony having weapons while under disability for having a 9mm pistol in his possession on Jan. 26 in Salem when he was prohibited from having a weapon due to a previous felony conviction.