Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Chris Eastmond Sr., Green Lane, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Main Street, Wellsville property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Michael Shaw, state Route 14, New Waterford, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for state Route 14, New Waterford property.

Samantha Harper, North Ridge Place, Lisbon, and Roger Paige, North Ridge Place, Lisbon; dissolution sought.

Leanne Headley, state Route 267, East Liverpool, vs. James Headley, state Route 267, East Liverpool; divorce sought.

Brenda Pidgeon, Valley Road, Salem, vs. Michael Pidgeon, West Middletown Road, Salem; divorce sought.

Navy Federal Credit Union, Vienna, Va., vs. John Yenges, Delaware, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, Columbus, vs. Richard Crosfield, Youngstown, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Unity Township, Columbiana County property.

Docket Entries

Jacqueline Spencer vs. James Spencer Jr.; divorce granted.

Court News

LISBON — A Salineville man who violated the terms of his probation for two felony charges was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with credit for 151 days already served in jail.

Jamie Tice Jr., 24, Malone Road, appeared recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for a probation violation hearing. His community control was dishonorably terminated. The charges stemmed from two separate indictments for harassment with a bodily substance, a fifth-degree felony, and aggravated possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on June 30, 2023 and for harassing a corrections officer at the county jail with a bodily substance on Jan. 26, 2024.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set July 17 for Lance Bishop, 19, Walnut Street, Rogers, charged with felonious assault and robbery, both second-degree felonies, for an incident May 23 in Rogers at a garage sale hosted by the victim. Bishop was accused of allegedly grabbing a money pouch from under the woman’s arm, ripping it from her and attempting to leave on a bicycle, then running on foot with the pouch containing $300 and a cell phone. The woman suffered injuries to her arm, leg and belly area and received treatment at a hospital.

A case against Justin Buckel, 33, Dakota Street, East Liverpool, was bound over to the county grand jury for failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a fourth-degree felony, for allegedly fleeing from police attempting a traffic stop on his motorcycle on July 1 in East Liverpool. He was also fined $200 for no license and reckless operation.

A preliminary hearing was set July 17 for Todd Ritchie, 47, East Third Street, Salem, charged with third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer for fleeing from a state trooper attempting a traffic stop on May 10 on U.S. Route 62 in Knox Township, reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph during the pursuit, which was terminated in Alliance.

Trina Charlene Cornett, 39, Canton, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 166 days suspended and credit for seven days served, leaving a balance of seven days still to serve for domestic violence. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. A fifth-degree felony strangulation charge was dismissed at the request of the state. She was accused of a domestic violence incident after an argument with another woman on March 20 in Minerva.

Lane Phillips, 21, Ohio Avenue, Salem, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 159 days suspended and credit for two days served, leaving a balance of 19 days still to serve in jail for menacing, obstructing justice, obstructing official business and resisting arrest. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service. On Dec. 31, 2024 in Salem, Phillips gave safe harbor to a juvenile who was wanted by police and cheered him on as he ran from officers. When told he was being detained, Phillips pulled away from an officer and squared up in a fighting stance with two closed fists. He also refused to provide his name or ID and was calling an officer derogatory terms, and also resisted

A pretrial was set Sept. 25 for Kobe N. Hayden, 26, Youngstown, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly requesting sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $80 from an undercover agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, then traveling to Salem on July 8 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Justin Edward Adelman, 40, Rootstown, 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 already completed an education course. Adelman requested sexual conduct from an undercover agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force for an agreed upon price of $180, then traveling to Salem on Dec. 27, 2024 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Scottie R. White, 42, Dover, was fined $800 and sentenced to 14 days in jail, with credit for 14 days served, for engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia. White requested sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $60 from an undercover agent and drove to Salem on June 26 for the meeting, with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession, along with a glass pipe with burnt residue. The affidavit by an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force said his criminal history included charges of attempted murder, aggravated burglary, felonious assault and domestic violence and he was tagged as a member of the CRIP gang according to an entry of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s Security Threat Group.

A pretrial was set Sept. 15 for Zane Blake, 32, Scio, charged with obstructing justice and disorderly conduct for allegedly fleeing from a police officer on July 9 in Salineville, then agreeing to go to a hospital but later exiting the ambulance and fleeing on foot. He was spotted by police and started to walk back and then fled on foot again when told he would be retained.

A pretrial was set Oct. 6 for Robyn Smeltzer, 44, Cleveland Street, Salem, charged with theft for allegedly attempting to leave the Salem Walmart on June 25 without paying $229 after skip scanning numerous items.

A pretrial was set Sept. 25 for Christin Murphy, 47, Cleveland, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a white powdered substance in a purse next to where Murphy was the lone back seat passenger during a traffic stop on July 8 in Columbiana. The purse also contained a rolled-up dollar bill with a brown substance inside suspected to be an illegal narcotic.

A pretrial was set Oct. 21 for Cory Blankenship, 39, Ambrose Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with operating a vehicle impaired second offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years, improper/expired registration, two counts driving under suspension and two counts of drug paraphernalia. Blankenship allegedly possessed two glass smoking pipes with burn marks during a traffic stop on July 9 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Sept. 22 for Melissa Brink, 45, Franklin Avenue, Salem, charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to display valid sticker and driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set Sept. 8 for Canyon Hrossowyc, 20, North Jefferson Street, Lisbon, charged with OVI breath first offense, no valid license and a tail lights violation.

A pretrial was set Sept. 9 for Zachary Nicholson, 21, Etruria Street, East Liverpool, charged with OVI first offense, driving under suspension and traffic control devices.

A pretrial was set Oct. 20 for Scott Cooper II, 41, Seventh Avenue, Columbiana, charged with no valid license and no turn signal.

A pretrial was set Sept. 29 for Dylan Walsh, 24, LaCroft Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with no valid license.

Nicholas Damico, 27, Mineral Ridge, was fined $500 for leaving the scene, no motorcycle endorsement and failure to control. His driver’s license was suspended for 180 days, with driving privileges granted.

Kira Dunn, 39, Birch Road, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

Ebony Timberlake, 43, Bedford, was fined $50 for speeding, with no fine for driving under suspension and a notation that the driver was now valid.

Isiah Coulter, 24, Harvey Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for no license.

Rodnaea Long, 30, Canton, was fined $160 for driving under suspension, child restraint and a headlights violation.

Fred Bryan, 45, Chester, W.Va., was fined $50 for failure to control.

Grand Jury

LISBON — A man scheduled to face sentencing in September for multiple drug charges from early 2024 is now facing even more drug charges through a superseding indictment for a separate incident on Dec. 31, 2024.

The new indictment was issued Wednesday by the Columbiana County Grand Jury against Joseph DeSarro, 31, Duke Vodrey Road, East Liverpool, who had already been indicted earlier this year for the Dec. 31, 2024 incident.

The grand jury met for two days and issued two superseding indictments, 12 open indictments and 34 secret indictments. Secret indictments aren’t revealed until the defendants are served.

DeSarro was originally charged with third-degree felonies of illegal conveyance of prohibited items onto grounds of a detention facility or of an institution and tampering with evidence for allegedly tampering with a plastic bag and shoving it down his pants after being placed in a patrol car following a traffic stop in East Liverpool when he was a passenger. While in the dressing room at the Columbiana County jail, he was allegedly found to be in possession of multiple illegal narcotics and allegedly admitted to the illegal narcotics being crack, cocaine and fentanyl.

The superseding indictment includes the original third-degree felonies, along with first-degree felonies of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine, second-degree felonies of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, and fifth-degree felonies of two counts aggravated possession of drugs and two counts possession of drugs.

According to the indictment, on Dec. 31, 2024, DeSarro allegedly prepared to sell and possessed cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 27 grams but less than 100 grams and fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 10 grams but less than 20 grams. He also allegedly possessed amphetamine, oxycodone, buprenorphine and alprazolam.

Also issued a superseding indictment was Preston English, 32, Densmore Avenue, East Liverpool, originally charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanor obstructing official business for allegedly failing to come out of a house in East Liverpool on Nov. 2, 2024 when police officers had a warrant for his arrest. He was found hiding in a bath tub in the residence. During a pat down before being transported to the county jail, he allegedly tried to kick away a baggy of suspected narcotics that fell from his shorts to the ground.

The superseding indictment includes the original charges and includes the addition of fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, aggravated possession of drugs and four counts of possession of drugs for allegedly possessing cocaine, fentanyl, oxycodone, clonazepam, buprenorphine, alprazolam and xylazine on Nov. 2, 2024.

Open indictments issued included:

— William Wright, 66, Main Street Rear, Wellsville, third-degree felony having weapons while under disability and misdemeanors of obstructing official business and disorderly conduct for allegedly standing on another person’s front porch in Columbiana on May 5 and threatening to kill himself with a self-made firearm, refusing to comply with police orders to stop what he was doing, keep his hands in the air and walk to officers to surrender. He allegedly continuously walked on and off the porch, hiding his hands and screaming at officers. He was tased and taken into custody, with a smash gun found on him, described as a pipe shotgun, along with a shell. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from having a weapon.

— Landon Knight, 18, Riley Avenue, East Liverpool, third-degree felony grand theft when the property is a firearm or dangerous ordnance for allegedly stealing a firearm in Liverpool Township on May 1.

— Jeffrey Steffel, 43, listed as homeless, last known address Pembrooke, Salem, fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present and misdemeanors of criminal damaging, resisting arrest and obstructing official business for allegedly forcing his way into a Pembrooke Drive, Salem residence on June 1, breaking the door and frame, then refusing commands from a Perry Township police officer who told him to get up to exit the residence and also resisting arrest.

— Jay Frantz, 36, Oakland Avenue, East Liverpool , fourth-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and misdemeanors of driving under suspension and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer for allegedly fleeing from police attempting a traffic stop in Lisbon on April 19.

— Justin Lake, 28, Woodland Avenue, Salem, vandalism, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly intentionally damaging a tablet device by punching it and breaking it while he was an inmate at the county jail.

— Christopher Crooms, 37, Summit Drive, Salineville, fifth-degree felony failure to fulfill violent offender database duties for allegedly failing to notify the sheriff’s office of changing his address as of April 1 for the violent offender registry.

— Thomas Pitts, 42, Foundry Hill Road, Hanoverton, fourth-degree felony assault, fifth-degree felony obstructing official business and misdemeanor resisting arrest for allegedly attempting to flee after being taken into custody for a warrant, refusing to listen to commands and striking a deputy in the face with his elbow while resisting on May 22 in Hanover Township.

— Timothy Boggs, 32, Glenn Street, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly attacking a woman by jumping on top of her with steel toe boots on Feb. 17 in St. Clair Township while she was pregnant.

— Tyler Anthony, 24, Vine Avenue, Salem, misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly pushing a woman down attempting to take a cell phone from her on April 15 in Salem.

— Christopher Tarter, 31, Akron, third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, fifth-degree felonies of importuning and possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution for allegedly requesting sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $220 from an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female and her mother, then driving to Salem on June 2 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

— Cagney Allen Springer, 36, Penn Avenue, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felonies of breaking and entering and theft from a person in protected class for allegedly trespassing in an unoccupied structure on Minerva Street, East Liverpool and taking a refrigerator and stove on Jan. 16.