Court News

LISBON — The sentencing entry for a Wellsville man sentenced to six and a half years in prison for charges related to a 2023 crash which injured four people has been corrected to reflect a license suspension of 33 years.

Thomas Trevor, 73, Fife Coal Road, appeared for sentencing recently before Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam. The original entry listed the total driver’s license suspension as 35 years, but it was actually 33 years. He was also fined $375 and ordered to pay $1,800 restitution to Sally Lykens, one of the victims in the accident, who was injured, along with her three grandchildren who were her passengers.

Trevor received consecutive sentences of 30 months each for two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, and 12 months and six months respectively for two counts of vehicular assault, a fourth-degree felony. A three-day jail term for misdemeanor operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of both was ordered served concurrent, or at the same time. The grand total was 78 months.

The charges all stemmed from a Feb. 14, 2023 traffic crash that occurred on Fife Coal Road in Yellow Creek Township. A previous published report about the accident said a Chevy Silverado driven by Trevor traveled left of center and struck a vehicle driven by Lykens, Salineville, injuring her and her three grandchildren. Trevor was also injured and later determined to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

— A Poland man involved in a sex-for-hire sting in May 2024 in East Palestine entered guilty pleas Monday to engaging in prostitution and two felony drug counts.

Joshua Hayat, 38, appeared before Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton, who revoked his bond and ordered him held at the county jail after a positive drug test.

He pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felonies of possession of a fentanyl-related compound and possession of cocaine, along with the misdemeanor charge of engaging in prostitution, with sentencing set for July 21.

Misdemeanor charges of possessing criminal tools, possession of drug abuse instrument and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia will be dismissed.

Hayat was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a female in exchange for currency and crack cocaine, traveling to East Palestine on May 7, 2024 for the meeting. Hayat allegedly possessed the phone used to make the arrangements, along with fentanyl, cocaine, a crack pipe and hypodermic syringes.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Ashley Culp, 39, West 10th Street, Salem, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft, with sentencing set for May 8. She was originally charged with fourth-degree felony grand theft for depriving the Social Security Administration of $29,189 from March 1, 2019 to May 31, 2023.

— Zachary Paxson, 47, Main Street, Wellsville, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence, with sentencing set for June 6, for striking a woman in the face, pushing her against a wall causing injury to her face and forehead and choking her, causing her to almost lose consciousness on Aug. 21, 2024 in Wellsville. A felony charge of strangulation was dismissed.

— George Taylor, 46, state Route 14, East Palestine, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence, with sentencing set for June 5, for attempting to harm a woman on June 18, 2024 by pushing a kitchen table into her abdomen in Unity Township.

— Logan Winters, 29, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve 307 days in the county jail, with credit for 207 days already served, leaving a balance of 100 days still to serve in jail for violating the terms of drug court for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. His participation in drug court was dishonorably terminated. The charge stemmed from his possession of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, on Jan. 28, 2021.

— Dillon Corfee, 24, Dyke Road, Negley, was placed under community control for 18 months after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Aug. 27, 2023.

— Jessica Morris, 47, Anderson Avenue, Wellsville, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve 30 days in the county jail, with credit for eight days served, leaving a balance remaining of 22 days to serve in jail for fifth-degree felony harassment with a bodily substance. Misdemeanors of resisting arrest, obstructing official business and disorderly conduct will be dismissed. Morris was accused of spitting on the arm of a police officer after being taken into custody and taken to the police station in East Liverpool for being severely intoxicated on Aug. 18, 2024 and refusing to get into a police cruiser for a ride home.

— Christopher Brink, 44, Franklin Avenue, Salem, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for charges from two separate indictments, including having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs with a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. He was also ordered to forfeit $85. Charges of aggravated possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia will be dismissed. Brink was accused of having a firearm on Dec. 6, 2023 while under indictment for a felony offense of aggravated trafficking in drugs and also possessing methamphetamine and $85 cash. On April 6, 2023, he was accused of possessing a plastic bag used for the storage of dangerous drugs during a traffic stop in Salem and allegedly crumpling and throwing a piece of evidence behind him while exiting the vehicle.

— Joseph Hakala, 31, East Washington Street, Lisbon, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with credit for 245 days served in jail, for third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. A misdemeanor driving under suspension charge was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for five years. Hakala fled from an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper attempting a traffic stop in Madison Township, reaching speeds of 100 mph and fleeing into West Virginia on Aug. 14, 2024.

— Angel Post, 51, New Cumberland, W.Va., was sentenced to six months in prison for trafficking in cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, with credit for 23 days served in jail. Two additional counts of trafficking in cocaine, both fourth-degree felonies, will be dismissed. Post sold or attempted to sell less than 5 grams of cocaine on Oct. 18, 2019.

— Jonathan Shellenberger, 35, Gavers Road, Hanoverton, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve 180 days in the county jail, with 90 days suspended, for misdemeanors of domestic violence and endangering children. A fourth-degree felony strangulation charge will be dismissed. Shellenberger was accused of grabbing a juvenile girl by the arm, shoulders and neck area and throwing her into the residence on Gavers Road, Hanoverton on April 13, 2024.

— Christopher Steenge, 46, Washingtonville Road, Salem, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is successfully completed for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony. He received credit for two days served. Steenge possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on Nov. 5, 2019.

— Jessica Cain, 41, Church Street, Salineville, 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 for possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony. Cain possessed fentanyl on Dec. 9, 2022.

— Billie Thompson, 43, last known address Youngstown, pleaded guilty to drug charges from two separate indictments, including possession of LSD and aggravated possession of drugs, both fifth-degree felonies, and third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, with sentencing set for May 19. Another charge of aggravated trafficking in drugs will be dismissed. Thompson was accused of possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on June 26, 2023 and possessing LSD and methamphetamine on July 18, 2023.

— David Hitt, 37, Parma, was placed on a treatment plan for 18 months after pleading guilty to charges from two separate indictments, including fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and fourth-degree felony attempted aggravated possession of drugs. Hitt possessed methamphetamine on April 29, 2020 and attempted to possess methamphetamine on Jan. 13, 2021.