Common Pleas

New Cases

Hancock Savings Bank FSB, Carolina Avenue, Chester, vs. Patricia Cataldo, Main Street, Wellsville, Mathhew Dalrymple, Buzzard Road, Wellsville; foreclosure sought.

Lakeview Loan Services LLC, Buffalo, New York, vs. Jarron and Michele Noble, Slater Road, Salem; foreclosure sought.

City of Salem, Broadway Avenue, Salem, vs. Columbiana County Commissioners, Perry Township, North Ellsworth Avenue, Salem; Sean and Larie Butcher, Beachwood Road, Salem; notice of appeal of judgment regarding annexation decision.

Municipal

LISBON — A preliminary hearing was set June 30 for a New Waterford woman accused of opening fire on a residence on Armstrong Lane in East Liverpool. Rebecca Simpson, 53, state Route 7, is charged with improperly discharging a firearm into a habitation, a felony two offense, and aggravated menacing. Simpson allegedly shot at the home after exiting her car on June 14. Two women and a 6-old child were in the house at the time. They barricaded themselves in a room and hid in a closet before calling 911. Officers found two spent shell casings and one live round in the general area where Simpson’s car was parked in the driveway and two more spent rounds on the sidewalk and front porch. Upon further investigation, officers discovered a round had grazed the wood trim and struck the brick of the home and another had gone through a lawn chair near the front door and damaged the brick. Simpson allegedly fled in her vehicle which she later crashed on Sprucevale Road in St. Clair Township. A 9mm handgun with a live round in the chamber and additional bullets in the magazine was located in the car. Two days prior to the incident, the woman who owns the home on Armstrong Lane had made a report with East Liverpool Police Department advising that her daughter received a phone call from Simpson who threatened to harm the mother with a box cutter. The woman also provided law enforcement with a video of Simpson allegedly threatening to cut the woman’s tongue out.

A preliminary hearing was set June 30 for Andrew Freed, 18, Hadley Road, East Palestine charged with receiving stolen property charges, a fourth-degree felony, and misdemeanor resisting arrest and obstructing official business. Freed was allegedly in possession of a Chevy Silverado on June 23 on West Clark Street in East Palestine. The truck was reported stolen from Feezles Auto in Enon Valley, Pa. When the truck was discovered, Freed fled out the back door of the West Clark Street residence and attempted to leave in the stolen vehicle.

A preliminary was set July 7 for Richard Simons, 25, state Route 154, Lisbon, charged with failing to provide periodic verification of current address by a sexually oriented offender, a fourth-degree felony. Simons, a Tier II sex offender following a 2020 conviction for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, is required to register every 180 days for a period of 25 years. Simons allegedly last provided a current address on Nov. 26, 2024, but failed to do so on May 26 and did not answer two letters telling him to do so or face charges.

A preliminary hearing was set July 3 for Austin Lowe, 30, Apple Blossom Trail, Beloit, charged with felony-five violation of a protection order for allegedly violating a protection order by messaging the protected party on social media and through text on June 2.

Daniel Widger, 48, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail with 160 suspended and credit for nine days served, two years probation and 20 hours of community service for assault and two counts of aggravated menacing. Widger punched and threw a woman to the ground on Sept. 10, 2024 when he was asked to leave a residence in Elkrun Township.

A pretrial hearing was set July 3 for Justin Minor, 26, Harvey Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence. Minor allegedly struck a woman in the face and struck her leg with a frying pan during an altercation at his home on June 25. Officers observed injuries on the victim.

Donald Cornwell, 25, North Market Street, Lisbon, was fined $200 and sentenced to 30 days suspended, one year of probation and 20 hours of community service for sending text messages threatening violence to a man on Dec. 16.

A pretrial was set Oct. 2 for Eddie Olivencia Jr., 33, Jennings Avenue, charged with illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension and expired license. Olivencia allegedly was found with a glass pipe with burn residue during a traffic stop in Salem on June 25.

Jade Caudill, 26, South Washington Street, East Palestine, was fined $1,175, sentenced to 180 days in jail with 177 suspended, two years probation, and 60 hours of community service for OVI, assured clear distance, no child restraint and disorderly conduct, amended from endangering children. Caudill’s vehicle struck a parked car on June 17 in East Palestine and she was found to be intoxicated with her child in the car.

Charles Sandy was fined $875 and sentenced to 180 days with 177 suspended, two years probation and 35 hours of community service for OVI.

A pretrial was set July 3 for Matthew Elser, 45, Market Street, Columbiana, charged with unlawful restraint and telecommunications harassment. Elser allegedly was intoxicated and refused to allow a woman to leave a residence in Columbiana on Oct. 10, 2024.The woman advised that Elser threw her phone, breaking a window, and she fled to a neighbor’s home. The same woman reported that Elser sent her unwanted messages on June 24. Elser allegedly threatened to kill her, her family, and the judge and prosecutor in the previous case.

A pretrial was set July 3 for Courtney Sofaly, 23, Harvey Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence. Sofaly allegedly clawed a man in the arm during an altercation in her home on June 25.

Charges of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools were dismissed against Leoard Lewis, 51, New Middleton on the grounds law enforcement did not provide requested discovery material to the prosecutor.

Ryan Thompson, 43, no address given, was fined $300 for assault and obstructing justice. He was also sentenced to 180 days in jail with 131 suspended and credit for 49 days served, two years of probation and ordered to have no contact with the victim. Thompson grabbed a woman by the arm, threw her down and struck her in the back of the head during an incident on South Broadway Avenue in Salem on May 8.

A review was set July 7 for Anthony Earley, 29, Blue Island, Illinois, charged with being a fugitive from justice. Earley allegedly is wanted on a warrant out of Illinois for charges of being an armed habitual offender.

A review was set July 24 for Devon Eckard, 27, Adena, charged with being a fugitive from justice. Eckard allegedly is wanted on a warrant out of Marshall County, West Virginia, on child pornography charges.

Melissa Hale, 44, Saline Street, Irondale, was fined $250, sentenced to 90 days in jail suspended, one year of probation and 20 hours of community service and ordered to stay out of Calcutta Walmart for theft. Hale failed to scan and pay for seven items, totalling $43 at the self-check at the Walmart on Dresden Avenue.

Ryan C. Jenkins, 40, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for no operator’s license.

Joshua Francis, 44, Park Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for expired tags and driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set Aug. 2 for Lynsey Carroll, 23, Idaho Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with drug paraphernalia. Carroll allegedly was found to have two burnt glass pipes used to inhale narcotics in her purse during a traffic stop on April 4 on Lisbon Street in East Liverpool.

Michael Poynter, 66, Kingsridge Road, East Liverpool, was fined $450 and 180 days in jail suspended and two years of probation for failure to control and physical control, amended from OVI.

Edward Swanson III, 45, Monaco Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for driving under suspension and expired tags.

A pretrial hearing was set Sept. 16, Zachary Kinsey, 37, Louise Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with texting while driving.

A pretrial hearing was set Sept. 18 for Ashley Thomas, 33, state Route 558, Columbiana, charged with texting while driving.

A pretrial hearing was set Aug. 28 for Nicholas Bidila, 43, Youngstown, charged with traffic control devices.

Court News

LISBON — Tony Blendenbacher, 40, Hartley Road, Alliance, was recently sentenced in Columbiana County Court of Common Pleas to community control until June 8, 2026 and 45 days in jail for failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, for allegedly fleeing at a high rate of speed and driving recklessly on Nov. 16, 2022 when a county sheriff’s deputy attempted a traffic stop on Hartley Road.

Also in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court:

— Kelly Shafer, 42, Imperial, Pa., recently entered a guilty plea for one count of nonsupport of dependents, a felony five from July 5, 2020 to July 3, 2022. Sentencing is set for Aug. 28.

— James Lamp, 49, Foundry Hill Road, Salineville, was sentenced two years of community control and five years of drug court as part of a plea agreement for two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on April 15, 2024 and July 1, 2022.

— Eric Elerick, also known as Eric Richard Elerick, 46, Cleveland, was sentenced to 100 days in the Columbiana County Jail with credit for 59 days served for nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, issued in August for allegedly failing to provide child support for one child from March 1, 2020 through Feb. 27, 2022.

— Constance Adams, 33, Youngstown, was sentenced to community control until March 28, 2027 and six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center for possessing cocaine, fifth-degree felony, for possessing cocaine on May 4, 2022.

— Jennifer Ream, 47, Moore Street, Lisbon, was sentenced to 24 months of intervention for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Aug. 16, 2024.

— Isaac Faulkner, 24, East Fifth Street, Salem, was sentenced to 18 months of intervention for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing the drug known as MDA on Jan. 8, 2023.

— Amanda Alba, 33, Arena Drive, New Cumberland, was sentenced to 270 days local with credit of 191 days for fifth-degree felonies of aggravated possession of drugs and possession of fentanyl-related compound for possessing fluorofentanyl and fentanyl-related compound on May 27, 2022.

— Steven Barnes, 43, Haiti Road, Salineville, was sentenced to 24 months of intervention for aggravated possession of drugs, a felony five and possession of drugs for knowingly possessing a controlled substance on May 8, 2023.