Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set Jan. 7 for Zachary A. Taylor, 37, Rose Drive, Lisbon, charged with three counts of criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing at a property on state Route 45 in Center Township on June 14, 2025, again on June 27, 2025 and on July 1, 2025. He had been trespassed from the property in April 2025. A probation violating hearing was also set for Jan. 7 for Taylor for a 2025 case of unlawful restraint and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

A pretrial was set March 18 for Nickole E. Sears, 41, Faulk Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a crack pipe and alleged narcotics and used choreboy during a traffic stop on Oct. 26 in St. Clair Township when she was the passenger.

A pretrial was set March 16 for Christopher M. Wheeler, 50, Allison Street, East Liverpool, charged with operating a vehicle impaired first offense and a tail lights violation.

A pretrial was set March 17 for Randy Joe Cox, 45, Canfield, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover familial ad on a known prostitution website of a mother and daughter and arranging for sexual activity with both for $140, then arriving in East Palestine on Dec. 30 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Elizabeth Mackall, Chippewa Trail, Negley, vs. Luke W. Mackall, Union Ridge Road, Rogers; divorce sought.

Angie M. Libert, West Martin Street, East Palestine, vs. Ventra Salem, LLC, Pennsylvania Avenue, Salem, and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Columbus; appeal of claim denial.

Huntington National Bank, Columbus, vs. Luke Jackson, John Street, Salineville, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

LVNV Funding LLC, Greenville, S.C., vs Jessi Lynch, Aten Avenue Extension, Wellsville; collection sought of alleged $17,265 debt.

Andrea Wasko, Ephriam Street, East Liverpool, and Matthew Wasko, Newell, W.Va.; dissolution sought.

Data Mortgage Inc., doing business as Essex Mortgage, Ocala, Fla., vs. James Cope, North Market Street, East Palestine, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for North Market Street, East Palestine property.

Nationstar Mortgage LLC, Coppell, Texas, vs. Dwayne S. Blake, Taggart Drive, Wellsville, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

TD Bank USA, N.A., Brooklyn Park, Minn., vs. James R. Ziser, Chestnut Street, Leetonia; collection sought of alleged $15,188 debt.

U.S. Bank National Association, Owensboro, Kent., vs. Gerald L≥ Lease, West 10th Street, Salem, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Salem property.

Dollar Bank, FSB, Canton, vs. Michael Arend, Charlton Drive, Lisbon, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Westlake Services LLC, Los Angeles, Calif., vs. Megan N. Minor, Erie Street, East Liverpool; collection sought of alleged $21,407 debt.

Capital One, N.A., Independence, vs. J L McFarland, North Ohio Boulevard, Salem; collection sought of alleged $3,774 debt.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Gary Barnes, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Main Street, Washingtonville property.

County Treasurer vs. Anthony J. Coffman, et al.; bankruptcy stay lifted, case reinstated.

County Treasurer vs. Harold Wayne Morrison, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

Prestige Financial Services Inc. vs. Eugene Mitchell and Dennis Mitchell; $19,871 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Howard W. Stine vs. SMS Group Inc., et al.; case settled and dismissed.

Loan Asset Issuer LLC Series 2020 vs. Richard Wright; $27,296 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Huntington National Bank vs. Michael J. Hudak, et al.; case dismissed.

Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC vs. Nicholas J. Poole, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Leetonia Road, Leetonia property.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. vs. Daniel J. Thomas, et al.; sheriff sale vacated.

County Treasurer vs. Shawn Long, et al.; case reinstated to active docket, bankruptcy stay lifted.

Credit Acceptance Corporation vs. Jesslynn Nulf; case stayed due to bankruptcy filing.

Freedom Mortgage Corporation vs. Craig S. Larson, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Virginia Avenue, Minerva property.

Court News

LISBON — A Youngstown woman convicted of possessing drugs and falsification earlier in 2025 was ordered to prison for 12 months for violating the terms of her probation.

Tiffany Rabquer, 36, had been placed on community control for third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor falsification for possessing methamphetamine and making a false statement on May 13, 2023.

During the recent probation revocation hearing in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, she received credit for 170 days already served in jail, reducing the time she’ll have to spend in prison.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Laurena G. Boso, 31, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, was ordered to participate in drug court for drug rehabilitation of up to five years and to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Lisbon after pleading guilty to third-degree felony tampering with evidence, fifth-degree felonies of possession of heroin, possession of a fentanyl-related compound and aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanors of possession of drugs and two counts of illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. She was accused of throwing a glass pipe out of the vehicle window during a traffic stop on May 4 in Lisbon and also possessing heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, xylazine, a short green straw commonly used to snort/inhale paraphernalia and a pipe.

— Kasen J. Smith, 30, Winona Road, Salem, was ordered to participate in drug court for drug rehabilitation of up to five years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs for possessing methamphetamine on May 2, 2025.

— Joseph A. Verzelli, 68, Clinton, Pa., was placed on an intervention plan for three years after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, and a forfeiture specification for money from a drug case. He was ordered to forfeit $751. Verzelli possessed cocaine and $751 on April 27, 2024.

— Justen D. Smith, 37, Canton, was placed under community control for 24 months and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 180 days suspended, leaving zero days to serve for attempted possession of cocaine, a misdemeanor lesser offense. Smith was originally indicted for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing cocaine on Feb. 3, 2024.

— Robert A. Fuson, 48, West Wilson Street, Salem, was ordered to participate in drug court for drug rehabilitation of up to five years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Dec. 9, 2024.

— John D. Parks, 40, Fitzpatrick Avenue, Columbiana, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Wintersville for attempted aggravated possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony. Parks was originally indicted for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on Dec. 28, 2023.

— Robert P. Westlake, 52, Anderson Boulevard, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Wintersville, with his community control continuing until July 11, 2027, for violating the terms of his probation for two counts of nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony. Westlake failed to pay child support for two children from Nov. 6, 2022 through Nov. 3, 2024.

— Michael W. Hover Jr., 35, West Ninth Street, Salem, was ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Wintersville, with his community control continuing until April 25, 2027, for violating the terms of his probation for possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Hover possessed tramadol on Feb. 24, 2024.