Grand Jury

LISBON — Four drug defendants were served Tuesday with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for various drug counts, including:

— Derek Thompson, 30, Chester Avenue, Wellsville, third-degree felony illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, and fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine, possession of a fentanyl-related compound and two counts of possession of drugs for allegedly possessing cocaine, fentanyl, bromazolam and xylazine and attempting to take drugs into a detention facility on May 31, 2024.

— James Lippiatt, 36, Washington Avenue, Salem, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing fentanyl on June 13, 2024.

— Charles Bailey, 47, West Main Street, Salineville, second-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs and fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine, all with specifications for forfeiture of money from a drug case, for allegedly preparing for sale and possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk, but less than 50 times bulk and possessing cocaine and $557, all on June 17, 2024.

— Cody Jones, 35, Mill Street, Salineville, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on June 4, 2024.

Court News

LISBON — A Wellsville woman accused of possessing cocaine was sentenced recently to four to six years in prison, but didn’t leave without some words of encouragement from Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton.

Kristy Dillard, 46, Commerce Street, appeared before Bickerton to face her punishment and said she’s no longer living in darkness, detoxing on the floor of her jail cell and dedicating her life to Christ.

She shared with Bickerton that she had a lightbulb moment and opened up to her counselor, saying “I chose to better myself.”

Bickerton told Dillard to take advantage of her time in prison, to work on her college degree and continue what she’s doing now. She also said that she can see the potential in her that her mother does, acknowledging what Dillard’s mother said when she addressed the court and said she believed in her heart that her daughter has been set free from her addiction.

“I want you to be successful,” Bickerton said.

The indefinite sentence requires a minimum of four years served, with the additional two years at the discretion of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. She received credit for 316 days served in the county jail and received a mandatory $10,000 fine.

Earlier this year, Dillard entered a guilty plea to a lesser-included offense second-degree felony possession of cocaine charge, with a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case. The charge was originally a first-degree felony. The plea was for possessing cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 20 grams but less than 27 grams on Feb. 6, 2024 when she also possessed $6,800. A charge of first-degree felony trafficking in cocaine was dismissed. In the indictment, the amount of cocaine was equal or greater than 27 grams, but less than 100 grams. The $6,800 was ordered forfeited.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Jeffrey Hughes, 40, Newton Falls, was sentenced to an indefinite term of two to three years in prison for theft from a person in a protected class, a second-degree felony, for stealing $52,114 from an elderly person from July 31, 2022 to April 26, 2023. For the indefinite term, he must serve a minimum of two years, then the additional year will be up to the discretion of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.

— James Tinsley, 44, Campbell, was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, for attempting to sell fentanyl on Jan. 19, 2023.

— Nicholas Weyand, 36, Dewey Avenue, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve 120 days in the county jail, with credit for 52 days served, leaving a balance of 68 days still to serve for violating the terms of his probation for three counts of nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony. The charges stemmed from Weyand failing to pay child support for three children from Nov. 29, 2020 to Nov. 27, 2022.

— Sarah Graham, 22, East Main Street, East Palestine, was sentenced to prison for 12 months and fined $5,000 for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk.

— Peter John Oyler, 65, Dillsburg, Pa., was sentenced to 120 days in the county jail, with credit for two days already served, leaving a balance of 118 days to serve in jail for a lesser-included offense of attempted compelling prostitution, a fourth-degree felony. He was originally charged with third-degree felony compelling prostitution. A fifth-degree felony charge of possessing criminal tools was dismissed. Oyler responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of an adult female and a juvenile and arranged for sexual activity with both in exchange for $280, arriving in East Palestine on June 17, 2024 for the meeting.

— James Berg, 36, East Lincoln Way, Lisbon, was placed on a treatment plan for three years and ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is successfully completed after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on July 1, 2023.

— Trey Baker, 27, New Martinsville, W.Va., was placed on a treatment plan for three years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on March 3, 2024.

— Mackenzie Myers, 47, 12th Street, Minerva, was placed on a treatment plan for three years after pleading guilty to attempted aggravated possession of drugs, a lesser-included offense fourth-degree felony for possessing methamphetamine on April 22, 2023. The charge was originally aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony.

— Justin Davis, 40, West Pine Lake Road, Salem, had his probation for aggravated trespassing extended for an additional year after he violated the terms. The trespassing occurred on Jan. 5, 2024.