Grand Jury

LISBON — Kasen Smith, 29, Winona Roaad, Salem, was served Wednesday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on May 2, 2025.

Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Jessie Riggs, Calcutta Smith Ferry Road, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Calcutta Smith Ferry Road, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Cindy Hadley, also known as Cindy Poling, Chester, W.Va., et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Virginia Avenue, East Liverpool property.

Christy Huffman, East Seventh Street, Salem, vs. Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Columbus, and As America Inc., Piscataway, N.J.; appeal of claim denial.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Sandra Jo Carter, Bell School Road, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon property.

Joseph Price, Southeast Boulevard, Salem, and Britney Price, West Oregon Avenue, Sebring; dissolution sought.

Joy Gorby, State Line Road, Negley, and Michael Gorby, State Line Road, Negley; dissolution sought.

Tri-State Tool & Hoist Inc., South Ellsworth Avenue, Salem, vs. Downing Crane & Industrial Services LLC, Warren; collection sought of alleged $21,312 debt from unpaid invoices.

Sheldon King, Warren, vs. Allen Chase Enterprises Inc., Oswego, N.Y., and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Columbus; appeal of claim denial.

Huntington National Bank, Columbus, vs. Michelle Massey, North James Street, East Palestine, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Docket Entries

JPMorgan Chase Bank vs. Beverly Britt, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for state Route 7, Lisbon property.

Kimberly Barrow vs. Stacy Barrow; divorce granted.

Credit Acceptance Corp. vs. David Woolmaker; $16,650 judgment granted to plaintiff.

City of East Palestine vs. Kenneth Wilson IV; $9,760 judgment granted to city from Wilson for income taxes from 2019 through 2022.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Aug. 28 for Dorian Lowrey, 50, Enon Valley, Pa., charged with fourth-degree felony domestic violence, fifth-degree violation of a protection order and misdemeanors of aggravated menacing and criminal trespass for allegedly throwing a cell phone at a woman who has an active protection order against him, striking her in the mouth while on the property he’s prohibited from visiting on Aug. 20 in New Waterford. He also was accused of trespassing on another property in New Waterford and threatening to assault a man, also on Aug. 20.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Aug. 28 for Jonathan Gardner, 34, Crawford Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with two counts of fourth-degree felony assault and misdemeanors of resisting arrest and obstructing official business for allegedly kicking two police officers while being escorted to a police cruiser after being taken into custody on Aug. 18 in East Liverpool. While police were there investigating a domestic dispute, he refused to cooperate and provide ID or his name and date of birth and also resisted arrest by refusing to walk willingly and pulling away from officers.

A pretrial was set Sept. 2 for Michael Miller, 45, West Third Street, Salem, charged with domestic violence and disorderly conduct for allegedly threatening to cause harm to a relative, yelling he better get ready to fight on Aug. 21 in Perry Township. He was told to stop his actions and continued to yell and make threats.

A pretrial was set Oct. 30 for Jena Whittington, 32, Rose Drive, Lisbon, charged with possession of drug abuse instrument, obstructing official business and drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a loaded syringe and cut straw in her waistband, along with suspected narcotics and a spoon with unknown residue in her purse during a traffic stop on Aug. 20 in East Liverpool. She also was accused of hindering the investigation.

A pretrial was set Nov. 10 for Jesse Jackson, 45, Lorain, charged with theft for allegedly stealing a package that had been delivered to Vista Motel in East Liverpool for a resident on Aug. 19. The package contained a pair of boots, an egg cooker and floss sticks, which were all allegedly found in Jackson’s room.

A pretrial was set Nov. 18 for Sonya Andric, 34, Alliance, charged with theft for allegedly stealing two flower pots from McCulloch Park in downtown Salem on June 2, which was seen on video surveillance. The two flower pots were found in front of her Alliance residence and recovered.

A pretrial was set Sept. 4 for William Cottrill, 42, Toronto, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly providing police with false information, including a name and multiple date of births, during an investigation on Aug. 20 in Leetonia.

Lynsey Carroll, 24, Idaho Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for drug paraphernalia. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Carroll possessed two burnt glass pipes used to inhale narcotics during a traffic stop on April 4 in East Liverpool.

Brandon Rexroad, 27, Pinetree Circle, East Palestine, was fined $150 for attempted criminal trespass amended from criminal trespass for refusing to leave a property in Unity Township and entering the premises.

A pretrial was set Sept. 4 for Justin Sprout, 44, Sophia Street, East Liverpool, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a burnt glass pipe during a traffic stop on July 19, 2024 in St. Clair Township. He was fined $50 for a stop sign violation.

A pretrial was set Oct. 7 for Kari Ann Stahl, 33, Cedar Street, Salem, charged with operating a vehicle impaired third offense, driving under suspension, no seat belt and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set Nov. 24 for James Conrad, 47, Montrose Street, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension.

Giovanni Centofanti, 25, West Pershing Street, Salem, was fined $100 for wrongful entrustment.

Aaron Edson, 35, West Sixth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for temporary permit required.

Travis Szwedko, 46, state route 45, Salem, was fined $75 for an equipment violation amended from driving under suspension.

Thomas Pittenger, 58, First Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for no license.

Michael Grimm, 53, Globe Street, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for speeding.

James Sarvey, 69, Aliquippa, Pa., was fined $35 for speeding.

Court News

LISBON — A homeless man already sentenced in April to 24 months in prison for soliciting sex while HIV positive was ordered to serve an additional four to six years for robbing a man at gunpoint last year in East Liverpool.

Brenston Thompkins, 30, listed as homeless in East Liverpool, entered a guilty plea recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to first-degree felony aggravated robbery, with a firearm specification, and third-degree felony having weapons while under disability.

On June 13, 2024, Thompkins pulled a gun out at the BP gas station in East Liverpool and advised another man to give him his car keys and possibly struck the man with the handgun. He wasn’t permitted to have a firearm due to a previous conviction.

The new prison term was ordered served consecutively or after the prison term he received in April for third-degree felonies of engaging in solicitation after a positive HIV test, attempted felonious assault and tampering with evidence. Charges of fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution were dismissed.

Thompkins was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual acts with a female in exchange for methamphetamine, traveling to East Palestine for the meeting on Nov. 10, 2023. Thompkins was HIV positive and had HIV medicine in his possession.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Norman Bender, 51, Aten Avenue, Wellsville, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for having weapons while under disability and grand theft when the property is a firearm, both third-degree felonies, for stealing a firearm on April 26 in East Liverpool while prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction. He received credit for 84 days already served in jail.

— Daniel Scott Jr., 43, Warren, was placed under community control for three years for a lesser offense of fourth-degree felony domestic violence. He was ordered to serve 175 days in the county jail, received credit for 155 days already served, and was ordered to serve the remaining balance of 20 days in the county jail. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim and a strangulation charge was being dismissed. Scott was accused of grabbing a woman by her neck, squeezing and attempting to pick her up from the couch by her neck during an argument on March 14 in Lisbon. He had two previous domestic violence convictions on his record.

— Brian Baughman, 51, Brightview Drive, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years but also ordered to serve 30 days in the county jail for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on April 17, 2024.

— Thomas Hughes II, 37, state Route 154, Negley, was placed under community control for two years for two counts of nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to provide support for a dependent from Jan. 8, 2023 to Jan. 5, 2025.