Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set Feb. 4 for Taylor Scott Snyder, 35, North Market Street, East Palestine, charged with strangulation and domestic violence, both fourth-degree felonies, for allegedly beating a woman and saying he was going to kill her on Jan. 29 in East Palestine. The affidavit said he allegedly threw her around like a rag doll, biting her left ear, kicking her in the back of her neck, attempting to gouge her eye out, pulling her earrings out, punching her and putting her in a headlock.

A preliminary hearing was set Feb. 4 for Preston Lamar English, 32, Densmore Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with third-degree felony having weapons while under disability and fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine for allegedly having a loaded 9mm handgun in the bedroom closet where he was hiding under some clothes on Jan. 8 when police were searching for him due to active warrants. He also allegedly possessed cocaine. He was prohibited from having a weapon due to a previous felony drug conviction.

A pretrial was set April 14 for Nicole M. Polen, 41, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, charged with domestic violence and resisting arrest for allegedly pushing a man, causing him to fall and cut open his arm on Jan. 27 in Columbiana. When officers told her she was under arrest and attempted to grab her, she pulled and moved away, causing them to use force to make the arrest.

A pretrial was set Feb. 9 for Romelo Ka Ron Harrison, 18, McCoy Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence, obstructing official business and resisting arrest for allegedly spitting in the face of a relative, breaking a window in the relative’s residence with a hammer and threatening to assault the relative before fleeing on foot in St. Clair Township on Jan. 28. When police located him, he started walking backwards and not following orders and fled when told he was under arrest.

A pretrial was set April 6 for Pierce C. Stell, 20, West State Street, Salem, charged with resisting arrest, obstructing official business and domestic violence for allegedly saying he was going to take his life after an argument during a domestic dispute in Perry Township on Jan. 10, then failing to comply and resisting officers when they pursued him on East State Street, Salem.

A pretrial was set April 8 for Timothy Dale Lasure, 38, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with aggravated menacing and assault for allegedly striking another man in the face and threatening to beat him and kill him on Jan. 20 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Feb. 18 for Camren M. Sisco, 21 Pancake Clarkson Road, Rogers, charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly threatening a juvenile at a bus stop near the Rogers Food and Fuel on Dec. 9, 2025, threatening to shoot him and reaching into a bookbag insinuating that he had a gun, according to the affidavit.

A pretrial was set Feb. 4 for Sarah J. Crooms, 41, Hazel Run Road, Salineville, charged with theft for allegedly transferring $160 from a man’s bank account into her own bank account on July 11, 2025 in Salineville.

A pretrial was set Feb. 4 for Carl David Gooding, 43, Putnam Street, East Liverpool, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a burnt glass meth pipe in a backpack on Oct. 9, 2025 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set April 7 for Tyler J. Brown, 25, Cleveland Street, Salem, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly refusing to stop running when ordered to stop by Lisbon police officers after a traffic crash when officers tried to initiate a traffic stop on Nov. 3, 2025. The vehicle did not stop and crashed into a house on North Jefferson Street, Lisbon, then two men jumped out of the vehicle and started running behind the residence.

A pretrial was set Feb. 18 for Brian W. Keith, 55, Anderson Boulevard, East Liverpool, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly continuing to run when told to stop by East Liverpool police on June 12, 2025, jumping a fence in an attempt to escape the officers.

Steven C. Stokes, 53, North Market Street, Lisbon, was fined $450 and sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 46 days suspended and credit for 14 days served, for possession of drug abuse instrument and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. During a traffic stop on Jan 14 in Salem, he possessed two small baggies with a crystal-like substance in them and a syringe.

Brandon Hoschar, 30, Youngstown, was fined $450 and sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 47 days suspended and credit for 13 days served, for possession of drug abuse instrument and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. During a traffic stop on July 5, 2025 in Fairfield Township, Hoschar possessed a hypodermic needle and a glass smoking pipe with residue.

Scott M. Haines, 51, state Route 164, Salineville, was fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 30 days served, for obstructing official business. Haines ran during a traffic stop in Salineville on June 6, 2021 after being unable to produce a driver’s license, proof of insurance and current registration and only knowing his date of birth.

Sentencing was set March 30 for Stephen Christopher Russell, 26, Anderson Boulevard, East Liverpool, who pleaded guilty to theft. Russell was working at the Calcutta Walmart on Jan. 23 when he manipulated the refund process with no customers present and loaded the refund onto a gift card linked to his personal Walmart account, doing it three times totaling $94.

A pretrial was set April 6 for Danny Joseph Brandle, 55, Union Ridge Road, Rogers, charged with failure to stop after a accident and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set April 14 for Michael Paul Higgings, 50, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with no valid license and failure to display valid sticker.

A pretrial was set April 8 for Michael Allen Bouffine, 28, East Main Street, East Palestine, charged with use of unauthorized plate and speeding.

A pretrial was set April 6 for Charles Richard Stoffel, 51, Beech Street, Wellsville, charged with improper passing.

A pretrial was set April 13 for Crystal Michelle Hamrick, 40, Dyke Road, Rogers, charged with driving under suspension and assured clear distance.

Antwon Louis Jackson, 45, Midland, Pa., was fined $140 for driving under suspension and unsafe vehicle.

Cody A. Jackson, 35, Bessemer, Pa., was fined $50 for unsafe vehicle amended from open container. A charge of expired registation was dismissed.

A charge of reasonable control against Edmund Halstead, 76, Steubenville Pike Road, Salineville, was dismissed.

Bradley James Lewis, 42, West Pine Lake Road, Salem, was fined $100 for no valid license.

Mark Allen Morris, 51, state Route 39, Salineville, was fined $150 for unsafe vehicle amended from reasonable control.

Kristopher James Cibula, 34, Hazel Run Road, Salineville, was fined $190 for driving under suspension and tail lights violation.

Brian Ray Spencer III, 19, West Garfield Road, Salem, was fined $100 for driving under suspension.

Kristyn K. Weldy, 39, Rose Drive, Lisbon, was fined $50 for driving under suspension.

Cody Allen Mossor, 28, Steubenville, was fined $100 for speeding, with no fine for driving under suspension and failure to display valid sticker.

Hilda Petrona Cobo Cedillo, 26, West Wilson Street, Salem, was fined $200 for child restraint and temporary instruction permit required.

Common Pleas

New Cases

PNC Bank, Independence, vs. Maureen A. Butler, state Route 45, Lisbon; collection sought of alleged $4,246 debt.

Novus Home Mortgage, Ewing, N.J., vs. Kenneth L. Christman, Edgewood Drive, Salem, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Edgewood Drive, Salem property.

Erie Insurance Company, Erie, Pa., vs. Evans’ Garage Doors, LLC, Beaver Falls, Pa.; damages sought for claims of alleged negligence and breach of implied warranty related to fire damage that occurred after work done on garage door at Mike Pusateri Excavating in East Liverpool in 2024.

Paul M. Lucas, Oak Street, East Liverpool, vs. Fairfield Machine Works, Inc., Lower Elkton Road, Columbiana, and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation; appeal of claim denial.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Evelyn Marie Quarterman; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

Patricia A. Chamberlain vs. Ian P. Chamberlain; divorce complaint and counterclaim both dismissed.

Cameron M. Howard vs. Group Management Services, Inc., et al.; case settled and dismissed.

TH MSR Holdings LLC vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Beverly A. Smith, deceased, et al.; case dismissed.

Huntington National Bank vs. Andrew Smith; $19,419 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Carrington Mortgage Services LLC vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Kim Matthews, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Southeast Boulevard, Salem property.

Grand Jury

LISBON — A Cleveland man accused of trafficking and possessing fentanyl was served Thursday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury.

David Anderson, 25, was charged with first-degree felonies of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound and possession of a fentanyl-related compound and third-degree felony tampering with evidence.

Anderson was accused of allegedly trafficking and possessing fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 20 grams but less than 50 grams and for allegedly tampering with evidence on June 12, 2024.

Also served with secret indictments were:

— Rebecca L. Burton, 47, West Fifth Street, East Liverpool, third-degree felony illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility and fifth-degree felonies of possession of heroin, possession of a fentanyl-related compound and possession of drugs, for allegedly possessing heroin, fentanyl and buprenorphine on May 29, 2025 and allegedly attempting to take drugs into a detention facility on June 29, 2025.

— Bryan K. Dilling, 53, Rose Drive, Lisbon, fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property and misdemeanors of possessing drug abuse instruments and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing drug instruments and paraphernalia and a registration validation sticker belonging to someone else.

Court News

LISBON — A Salineville man who was sentenced in 2011 to 13 years in prison for charges of aggravated burglary and two counts of kidnapping is challenging the 2025 indictment against him for allegedly failing to register as a violent offender

Christopher Crooms, 37, Summit Drive, was indicted last year with 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.

In November 2025, his defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss the indictment and vacate any ongoing obligation for him to register as a violent offender.

Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam explained in a recent judgment entry that the defendant abandoned his challenge to Sierah’s Law based on the retroactive application and double jeopardy, recognizing that the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that offender registration laws aren’t intended to inflict additional punishment on violent offenders. Crooms had been sentenced to prison in 2011 while the law for the violent offender registration didn’t take effect until 2019.

Washam said the remaining issue to be decided is the defendant’s claim that he didn’t receive proper notice about the violent offender registration requirement. Washam wrote that the defendant was entitled to receive a written, mandatory notice before being released from prison. He was released from prison on June 8, 2022 and the only evidence of the notice being sent to the defendant was dated Sept. 28, 2022., after his release from prison.

Washam agreed to give the state until Feb. 6 to demonstrate that prior to the defendant being released from prison on June 8, 2022, he was provided with written notice of the violent offender registration requirement.

A status conference was set for Feb. 13.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Philip M. Kelley, 38, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present and misdemeanor obstructing official business, with sentencing set for March 20. Charges of second-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor resisting arrest will be dismissed. He was accused of breaking into a home on North Lincoln Avenue, Salem on Nov. 3, 2025, breaking the front door window, reaching inside to unlock the door and continuing through the entryway and kitchen. After being confronted by the homeowner, he fled southbound on North Lincoln Avenue and was seen by police walking on Superior Avenue. Officers attempted contact and told him to stop multiple times, but a small foot chase took place and he was taken into custody after being caught.

— A case against an East Liverpool man was dismissed without prejudice due to an alleged evidentiary issue, court documents said.

Jeffrey Riachy, 54, Laurel Lane, East Liverpool, had been indicted for a third-degree felony burglary charge in January 2025 for allegedly entering an occupied structure with the purpose to commit theft on Nov. 22, 2024 in East Liverpool.

A jury trial that had been set for Jan. 26 this year was continued and then the state filed the motion to dismiss, saying “there is an evidentiary issue and the state cannot proceed to trial until it is resolved.”

When a case is dismissed without prejudice, that means the case can be refiled.

The motion did not reveal any specifics regarding the evidentiary issue. Court costs were taxed to the state.