Common Pleas

New Cases

Victoria Featherstone, Moore Avenue, East Liverpool, and Don Featherstone, Purinton Avenue, East Liverpool; dissolution sought.

American Express National Bank, Independence, vs. Eric Waggoner, West 12th Street, Salem; collection sought of alleged $7,613 debt.

Ford Motor Credit Company LLC, Colorado Springs, Colo. vs. Ray Guy, Hisey Road, New Waterford; collection sought of alleged $14,157 debt.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, Westerville, vs. Beverly Britt, state Route 7, Lisbon, also Eagle Drive, East Liverpool, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Re-petition of Kerry Price, U.S. Route 30, Minerva; relief sought from federal and state firearms disability.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Raymond Sheets, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Grant Street, Lisbon property.

County Treasurer vs. Wayne Burkholder, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

Accelerated Inventory Management LLC vs. Catherine Lonkert; $5,599 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Kaitlin Hartley and Jamison Hartley; dissolution granted.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, cases against Ryan Butler, 39, Desellem Road, Lisbon, were bound over to the county grand jury for fourth-degree felony assault on a peace officer and misdemeanors of assault and disorderly conduct for allegedly putting his hands on a security officer and pushing him out of the way at Salem Regional Medical Center, running out the door, but then being confronted by a deputy sheriff on Feb. 24 in Salem. He then allegedly grabbed the deputy’s vest and was brought under control by the deputy and hospital staff. On Feb. 25, he was back at the hospital and again pushed through both EMS personnel and struck a security officer before ignoring orders from a sheriff’s deputy and charging towards him, striking the deputy in the neck/collar bone area.

Cases against Mandy Hale, 44, Canton, were bound over to the county grand jury for third-degree felony tampering with evidence, fifth-degree felony obstructing official business and misdemeanors of resisting arrest and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. She was fined $50 for obstructed view. During a traffic stop on March 12 in Columbiana, an officer approached the vehicle and allegedly saw suspected methamphetamine in Hale’s lap. When he was putting on gloves to retrieve the suspected drugs, she allegedly grabbed a handful off of her lap and threw it towards the officer and out the driver side window. She then allegedly resisted arrest and would not get out of the vehicle or place the vehicle in park. The vehicle rolled forward several feet before the passenger put the vehicle in park. A digital scale and razor blade were located after a search.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set March 27 for Raymond Talbert, 49, Shadyside Road, East Liverpool, charged with fifth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanors of falsification, operating a vehicle impaired, no seat belt, reasonable control and no valid license. Talbert was accused of a domestic from 2021 for allegedly grabbing a woman by the neck and throwing her into a metal head board on a bed on July 16, 2021. During a traffic stop on March 18 this year in St. Clair Township, he allegedly provided false identifying information.

A preliminary hearing was set March 27 for Ray Crooms, 56, Clarks Mill Road, Hammondsville, charged with fourth-degree felony failure to comply (fleeing) for allegedly fleeing from a Salineville police officer attempting a traffic stop on March 19 in Salineville before wrecking his motorcycle into a guardrail.

A pretrial was set March 31 for Larry Toothman, 72, East Fourth Street, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence, aggravated menacing and discharge firearm for allegedly chasing a relative with a mop and throwing a wood block attempting to hit him with it during a domestic on March 19 in Salem. He also threatened him and brandished a firearm, discharging a round into the ground. The firearm was identified in an affidavit as a .22 caliber revolver.

A pretrial was set May 29 for Hope Jackson-Ingram, 32, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence and endangering children for allegedly choking a teen girl during a domestic on Dec. 13, 2024 in Wellsville. An indictment was recently issued by the county grand jury, with the case sent back to county Municipal Court.

Sentencing was set April 10 for Dallas Gotschall, 18, South Beaver Street, Lisbon, who pleaded no contest and was found guilty of assault for punching another man in the stomach and chest and scratching the back of his neck on March 18 in Lisbon.

A pretrial was set March 31 for Robert Holt, 39, Akron, charged with aggravated menacing and telecommunications harassment for allegedly threatening to send someone to a woman’s residence to assault her and also sending her multiple messages through social media and calling her multiple times on Jan. 15 in Minerva.

A pretrial was set June 3 for Jonathan Rudder, 39, Monaca, Pa., charged with engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website for two females and arranging for sexual activity with the females in exchange for money. He also possessed the phone used to make the arrangements and devices to snort cocaine and suspected cocaine in a fold on Dec. 6, 2024 in East Palestine.

A pretrial was set June 5 for David Lynn, 55, Smock, Pa., charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover familial ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with the females in exchange for $250, traveling to East Palestine on March 19 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Frankie Lee Sinclair, 62, Newburg, W.Va., 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 a 12-hour education course. Sinclair 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, traveling to East Palestine on Dec. 29, 2023 for the meeting. He was found in possession of the phone used to make the arrangements.

Jeremy M. Hodgekin, 47, Courtney Road, Alliance, 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 a 12-hour education course. Hodgekin was accused of requesting sexual conduct from an undercover agent for an agreed upon price of $120, then driving to Salem on Dec. 10, 2024 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Lachelle Malone, 36, West Main Street, Salineville, was fined $150 for disorderly conduct amended from violating a temporary protection order for being in a vehicle with a protected person on Dec. 7, 2024 in Yellow Creek Township, in violation of a protection order.

Brandy Allison, 42, New Cumberland, W.Va., was fined $300 and sentenced to 90 day in jail, with 89 days suspended and credit for one day served, for obstructing official business and possess instruments to ingest for hiding a glass narcotics pipe with burn marks and residue in her underwear after a traffic stop on May 16, 2020 in Perry Township.

A pretrial was set June 3 for Amber Marie Torres, 38, East Liverpool, charged with obstructing official business and theft for allegedly stealing an unknown amount of items from Dollar General in East Liverpool on March 18 and then fleeing on foot from officers.

Pamela Shingler, 60, New Cumberland, W.Va., was fined $150 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for drug paraphernalia. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Shingler possessed a burnt pipe during a traffic stop on Aug. 30, 2024 in St. Clair Township.

Jessica Ehlers, 45, Youngstown, was fined $150 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 26 days suspended and credit for four days served, for drug paraphernalia. She was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. Ehlers possessed a glass pipe with burnt residue on March 18, 2024 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set May 19 for Kira Dunn, 39, Birch Road, East Liverpool, charged with criminal damaging or endangering for allegedly smashing a man’s phone onto the parking lot and then placing the broken phone into the trash can on March 12 in St. Clair Township.

Chad Hiles, 39, West School Street, Salem, was fined $1,025 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 120 days suspended, leaving a balance of 60 days to serve for merged OVI third offense charges, driving under suspension and speeding. He was also sentenced to 60 days in jail for violating the probation in a previous case from 2023, but to be served at the same time as the other sentence. His driver’s license was suspended for three years and he was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Larry White, 69, Church Street, New Waterford, was fined $875 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended, leaving a balance of 10 days still to serve in jail for OVI. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and he was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Edgar Paucar, 50, Cortland, was fined $925 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 174 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, leaving a balance of three days still to serve in jail for OVI and marked lanes. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and he was ordered to complete 25 hours community service.

A pretrial was set June 5 for Ethan Scott Hill, 22, state Route 154, Lisbon, charged with driving under suspension and improper/expired registration. He was also fined $300 for two counts of speeding.

A pretrial was set May 29 for Kevin Hupp, 29, Idaho Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set March 31 for Bradly Cianni, 39, Chester Avenue, Wellsville, charged with physical control.

Kerlin Martinez, 35, Brooklyn, New York, was fined $300 for a stopped school bus and no license.

Stephen Strawderman, 40, last known address West Eighth Street, Salem, was fined $200 for no seat belt, failure to display sticker and no license amended from driving under suspension.

Curtis Rhoden, 49, Akron, was fined $125 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Maxwell Hyatt-Baney, 20, Wampum, Pa., was fined $75 for speeding.

Eric McDowell, 33, Glenn Street, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Three drug defendants were served Wednesday with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury, including:

— Nancymarie Garwood, 41, Vine Street, Salem, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Feb. 13, 2024.

— Jessica Stillion, 43, Bandy Road, North Benton, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Sept. 28, 2024.

— Thomas Milligan, 44, Youngstown, two counts aggravated possession of drugs, one a third-degree felony and one a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methylphenidate and methamphetamine on July 4, 2023.

Court News

LISBON — A Pennsylvania man caught in a sex for hire sting in 2023 was ordered evaluated by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio for competency, with his sentencing delayed.

Steven R. Stark, 46, New Milford, Pa., appeared in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for a sentencing hearing on March 6, but his attorney filed a motion for the evaluation of his competency, which Judge Scott Washam granted.

A status hearing was set for May 15 in the case.

Last September, Stark entered a guilty plea to attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fifth-degree felony. Charges of third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution were to be dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

He was originally scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 19, 2024, but the hearing was continued until Jan. 10, then continued again until March 6.

Stark was accused of responding to a posted undercover ad of an adult female and 15-year-old female on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual conduct with both females in exchange for $320, then arriving in East Palestine on Aug. 7, 2023 for the meeting.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Michael Henderson, 60, West Main Street, East Palestine, was ordered evaluated by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio for competency and sanity, with a status hearing set for May 22. His attorney requested the evaluation and submitted a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Henderson was charged with fifth-degree felony telecommunications harassment for allegedly sending threatening text messages to a man on Jan. 27, 2024 in Perry Township.

— Brandon Marchese, 38, Warren, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for May 23. Marchese possessed THC on Jan. 13, 2023.