Common Pleas

New Cases

Allison Hupp, state Route 45, East Liverpool, vs. Charles Hupp, Pleasant City; divorce sought.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Tarra Mitchell; payment plan entered, case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. Rachel Ashby, et al.; defendants TotalEnergies E & P USA Inc. and Dale Property Services Penn, LP, DPS Penn GP, LLC and Dale Pennsylvania Royalty, LP dismissed from case.

Cavalry SPV vs. Brooke Logan; $2,634 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Grand Jury

LISBON — A Salem man accused of assaulting another inmate at the Columbiana County Jail on April 12 was one of 12 defendants openly indicted by the county grand jury on Wednesday.

Devin Lodge, 23, old state Route 344, was charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for allegedly knowingly causing serious physical harm to the other inmate, who suffered a fractured jaw and required two stitches after the attack.

The grand jury met for two days and also issued 32 secret indictments. Secret indictments do not become public until the defendants are served with the paperwork.

Also openly indicted were:

— Alonna Renee Ligon, 28, also known as Davon Ligon or Javon Smith, Cleveland, charged with third-degree felony engaging in solicitation after a positive HIV test, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly arranging to have sexual activity in exchange for $300 with an undercover agent who responded to an ad allegedly posted by Ligon on a known prostitution website featuring Alonna Ligon formerly known as Davon Ligon offering sexual activity for hire. According to the affidavit by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force agent, an investigation revealed that Ligon allegedly had sexual activity for $130 with a man known to the agent, then Ligon arrived for the meeting with the agent on April 11 in East Palestine with the phone used to make the arrangements and a methamphetamine pipe. The affidavit also said it was learned that Ligon was also HIV positive.

–Melissa Brink, 45, Franklin Avenue, Salem, charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence, second-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, both with specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case, and misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for possessing items for the storage, measuring and use of dangerous drugs after a search of her room in a hotel on East Pershing Street, Salem on March 4. When police were serving the search warrant, she allegedly attempted to destroy 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. The indictment alleged she tried to sell and possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk but less than 50 times bulk and also possessed $120.

— Seaton Ruffner, 41, Ohio Avenue, Salem, charged with fourth-degree felonies of strangulation and domestic violence, fifth-degree felony vandalism and misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly choking another man from behind, causing him to not be able to breath for a few moments during a domestic on April 10 in Salem. Ruffner was also accused of allegedly damaging the rear window of a police cruiser by kicking it after his arrest.

— Norman Bender, 51, Aten Avenue, Wellsville, charged with having weapons while under disability and grand theft when the property is a firearm, both third-degree felonies, for allegedly stealing a firearm on April 26 in East Liverpool while prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.

— James Davisson, 29, Laurel Lane, East Liverpool, charged with fourth-degree felony resisting arrest, fifth-degree felony obstructing official business and misdemeanor disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling and threatening people in Salineville and then failing to comply with verbal commands of a deputy, throwing a knife down after being told multiple times to drop it and resisting arrest on April 20.

— Ryan Pritt, 43, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, charged with fifth-degree felony vandalism and misdemeanors of aggravated menacing and criminal damaging or endangering. While incarcerated at the Columbiana County jail on April 6, Pritt allegedly threatened a corrections officer and acted aggressively toward him, damaging a pair of handcuffs and vandalizing the cell in the booking area by using the handcuffs to carve into the wall and door frame.

— Marcus Ford, 31, Canton, charged with harassment with a bodily substance, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly spraying a corrections officer with urine at the Columbiana County jail on April 10. Ford was an inmate at the jail at the time.

— Abby Pierson, 31, Academy Street, Salineville, charged with fourth-degree felony assault, fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine, and misdemeanors of criminal mischief, illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension and two counts operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them-OVI, for allegedly trying to bite several police officers and EMTs during an incident on Nov. 28, 2024 in Columbiana. She also possessed cocaine and tried to damage a Columbiana police cruiser.

— Kristina Williamson, 34, Strawberry Lane, East Liverpool, charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly reversing her vehicle and striking another woman with the door and dragging her before leaving the scene on March 21 in East Liverpool. A police affidavit said the victim had just exited the vehicle and Williamson had argued with her in the vehicle. When police began questioning her after advising her of her rights on Strawberry Lane, she “stated she only hit her a little bit.”

— Jimmy Anderson, 34, Pine Hollow Road, Lisbon, charged with fourth-degree felony menacing by stalking and fifth-degree felonies of two counts violating a protection order for allegedly stalking a Leetonia family on May 11 after being told to stay away from them. He was also charged for allegedly purposely speaking to the victim, who has a protection order against him, after completing a hearing before county Municipal Court Judge Tim McNicol on May 19. He had a past conviction for violation of a protection order in January.