Municipal

Josiah Rance Jones, 18, Broadway Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $400 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 178 days suspended and credit for one day served, leaving one day to serve in jail for possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business. A charge of attempted theft was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and to stay away from the Calcutta Walmart. He was accused of attempting to shoplift, stuffing items in a book bag and refusing to identify himself when caught at the Calcutta Walmart on Nov. 29, 2025.

Michelle Lynn Ryan, 45, Tiltonsville, was fined $200 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for possessing criminal tools and possessing drug abuse instruments. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. On Sept. 12, 2025 in East Liverpool, Ryan concealed $13 worth of items in her backpack at Dollar Tree and police also found two used syringes in the backpack.

Tyler L. Cox, 23, state Route 45, Lisbon, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 179 days suspended and credit for one day served, for theft. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service. Cox failed to scan and pay for $61.39 in merchandise at the Salem Walmart on Nov. 29, 2025.

A pretrial was set May 5 for Alicia Wells, 37, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, charged with six counts of failure to file city income tax returns for allegedly failing to file East Liverpool city income tax returns from 2020 through 2025.

Shawn McKinnon, 31, and Rashaun Rutter McKinnon, 40, both Minerva Street, East Liverpool, were each fined $500 per count for six counts of failure to file city income tax return, with the fines suspended on the condition all future returns are timely filed and taxes timely paid. The McKinnons were charged for each failing to file East Liverpool city income tax returns from 2019 through 2024.

Oliver Chad Kemp, 53, North Market Street, East Palestine, was fined $800 for failure to obtain permission, depositing litter on public property and two counts of miscellaneous wildlife violation. He was ordered to forfeit a nine-point whitetail deer to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. On Dec. 2, 2025 on land in Middleton Township, he hunted without the owner’s permission and wildlife officers who went to the scene on Dec. 3, 2025 found two gut piles, two sets of footprints, two spent rifle casings and an empty beer can. The affidavit said a camera in the area showed the defendant dragging two antlered deer out toward Dyke Road and it was learned information regarding the harvests was falsified.

Branden Adam Kemp, 26, North Market Street, East Palestine, was fined $400 for hunting without permission and a miscellaneous wildlife violation . He was ordered to forfeit a five-point white tailed deer. On Dec. 2, 2025 on land in Middleton Township, he hunted without the owner’s permission and wildlife officers who went to the scene on Dec. 3, 2025 found two gut piles, two sets of footprints, two spent rifle casings and an empty beer can. The affidavit said a camera in the area showed another person dragging two antlered deer out toward Dyke Road with his assistance and it was learned information regarding the harvests was falsified.

Darren Blake Kemp, 19, North Market Street, East Palestine, was fined $200 for a miscellaneous wildlife violation and was ordered to forfeit a six-point white tailed deer to ODNR for possessing an antlered deer head untagged on Dec. 3 in East Palestine, with Kemp saying a friend dropped it off for taxidermy work.

Charity Haven Marie Hoffman, 21, Cunningham Road, Salem, was fined $200 for failure to obtain propogation permit for keeping a captured fox without a permit after the fox was reported running loose on Conkle Road, Salem Township on Feb. 11 and she admitted to buying it and having it at home. She was also fined $85 for no seat belt and speeding.

Raymond Daniel Breier, 39, East Clark Street, East Palestine, was fined $400 for hunting without permission and a miscellaneous wildlife violation for shooting a compound bow at a deer from a motor vehicle on Dec. 23, 2025 in East Palestine in the city limits while on a private access lane.

Dean Mikle Colussy, 48, state Route 45, Wellsville, was fined $150 for miscellaneous wildlife violation amended from miscellaneous wildlife violation. The charge was related to target shooting at Highlandtown Lake Wildlife Area Dam on Nov. 22, 2025.

Theodore Richard Murphy II, 61, Darlington Road, Negley, was fined $100 for hunting without permission for hunting on another person’s land on Jan. 4 in Middleton Township without the owner’s permission.

A pretrial was set May 5 for Russell Lynn Poling, 29, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, charged with two counts of miscellaneous wildlife violations for allegedly presenting false information about what he used to kill a deer on Jan. 31 in Center Township, saying it was a cross bow and for taking a deer with a shotgun outside of Ohio deer gun week.

Charges of litter and storage of furniture against Traci L. Golden, 53, Wyoming Avenue, East Liverpool, were dismissed. Golden was accused of having litter and furniture outside in inclement weather on Oct. 12, 2025 in East Liverpool.

Ricky A. Wilson, 57, Maple Street, Lisbon, was fined $550 for lighted lights required and two counts of driving under suspension. Charges of drug paraphernalia and driving under suspension were dismissed. He had been accused of allegedly possessing a tear bag containing white powder during a traffic stop on Nov. 19, 2025 in St. Clair Township.

John Bailey, 56, Beaver Falls, Pa., was fined $875 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, with $500 of the fine suspended, for operating a vehicle impaired. Another OVI charge was dismissed.

Noah Nelson Wheaton, 25, Vine Street, East Liverpool, was fined $1,100 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended, leaving 10 days to serve in jail for OVI second offense and reasonable control. Another OVI charge was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for two years, with driving privileges granted. He was also ordered to served 15 days in jail, to be served at the same time as the sentence for the 2026 OVI case, for violating the terms of his probation for a 2024 OVI case.

Mitchell L. Cyrus, 40, West Main Street, New Waterford, was fined $900 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 175 days suspended, leaving five days to serve in jail, along with 30 days electronically monitored house arrest, for OVI and marked lanes. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Another OVI charge and a charge of driving under suspension were dismissed.

A court trial was set May 6 for Raleigh T. McIntosh, 49, Bentwood Road, New Waterford, charged with open container for a Nov. 13, 2025 incident in Columbiana.

A pretrial was set April 22 for Johnathen Bryan, 42, state Route 170, East Palestine, charged with driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set May 5 for Brandy D. Virden, 47, Cleveland Street, Salem, charged with OVI second offense, OVI second offense breath and lighted lights required.

Michael Paul Scharfenberg Jr., 39, New Springfield, was fined $150 for lighted lights amended from marked lanes.

John E. Bowles, 50, Youngstown, was fined $150 for speeding. A charge of driving under suspension was dismissed.

Caleb Isaak Reynolds, 22, Adams Road, East Palestine, was fined $200 for lighted lights amended from driving under suspension and speeding.

Mary K. McLaughlin, 52, Whitehall, was fined $150 for speeding.

Heidi N. Gorby, 50, South Market Street, East Palestine, was fined $200 for driving under suspension and improper/expired registration.

Court News

LISBON — A Wellsville man accused of trying to harm a woman and damaging her car window last year pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony aggravated assault, and misdemeanors of assault and criminal damaging, with sentencing set for April 24.

James B. Oiler, 42, First Street, Wellsville, recently appeared in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to enter the plea. The aggravated assault charge was a lesser offense of felonious assault, a second-degree felony.

He was accused of purposefully driving his vehicle left of center to strike a vehicle driven by a woman on Birch Road in St. Clair Township in an attempt to cause harm on Feb. 14, 2025. He also punched the driver side window of the car, causing the woman to flee out of the passenger door.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Frank D. Aracich, 52, Steubenville, pleaded guilty to charges from two separate indictments, including obstructing official business amended from tampering with evidence and two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, all fifth-degree felonies, with sentencing set for April 24. Aracich was accused of tampering with evidence and possessing methamphetamine on Dec. 28, 2024 and possessing methamphetamine on Aug. 2, 2024.

— Robert P. Bowyer, 57, Moore Road, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center for fifth-degree felonies of vandalism and possession of cocaine and third-degree felony tampering with evidence. He was ordered to pay restitution of $220.55. Bowyer was accused of causing damage to property on Jun 20, 2025 and possessing cocaine and tampering on April 23, 2023.

— Jason Sorrell, 51, state Route 45, Salem, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to spend a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is complete after pleading guilty to aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, both third-degree felonies. He received mandatory fines of $5,000 each for both charges and credit for 10 days served in jail. He trafficked and possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on March 4, 2025.