Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set April 20 for Jonathan D. Cook, 42, Oak Street, Leetonia, charged with aggravated menacing, criminal damaging, resisting arrest, obstructing official business and disorderly conduct for allegedly throwing a metal knife, an axe, a frying pan, a steel tumbler and car parts at the side of a neighboring residence in close proximity of a window that one of three victims was standing behind as he screamed profanities at all of them on April 6 on Oak Street, Leetonia. He then refused to exit his residence as Leetonia officers attempted to place him in custody and barricaded himself in his house by placing a propane tank and numerous items against the rear door.

A preliminary hearing was set April 27 for Ronald L. Keller, 52, Summit Street, Salem, charged with fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property for allegedly possessing a stolen vehicle during a traffic stop on April 6 in Salem.

Bradley A. Eltringham, 39, Church Street, Salineville, was fined $550 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for menacing amended from aggravated menacing and two counts disorderly conduct. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to stay away from the victim. He also must wear a SCRAM bracelet for 30 days. SCRAM stands for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor. He was accused of making threats against another man and fighting with the man on Oct. 10 in Salineville. He was allegedly belligerent with officers after several commands for him to stop.

Damien Ingledue, 33, last known address Pennsylvania Avenue, Sebring, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 90 days suspended and credit for 13 days served, leaving a balance of 77 days still to serve in jail for misdemeanor domestic violence amended from a felony. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim. He was accused of striking a woman in the face three times while she was pregnant on March 25 in Unity Township.

Wade Allen Lovett, 21, Echo Dell Road, East Liverpool, was fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 29 days suspended and credit for one day served, for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence. Lovett punched a woman in the face during an argument on March 22 in St. Clair Township.

A pretrial was set June 1 for Stanley Alan Purvis, 51, Hastings, Mich., charged with engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools, possession of drug abuse instrument and drug paraphernalia for allegedly responding to an undercover ad posted by a Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force agent on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for money and methamphetamine, then traveling to East Palestine on Jan. 31 for the meeting. Purvis was driving a touring bus and the agent learned he had dropped off a university swim team and was supposed to pick the team back up for transport to Michigan. Besides the phone used to make the arrangements, he also allegedly possessed suspected methamphetamine, two hypodermic syringes loaded with liquid meth, a meth pipe, a green snorting straw and other items.

A pretrial was set June 22 for Erica B. Sprankle, 41, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a burnt glass pipe, a metal makeshift pipe with residue and other paraphernalia during a traffic stop on April 2 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Jonathan Robert Cook, 39, South West Street, Columbiana, charged with theft and criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing on a Industrial Drive, Columbiana property and stealing scrap on Aug. 16. He was fined $75 for driving under suspension.

Sean Nicholas Barrett, 32, Ninth Avenue, East Liverpool, 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 40 hours community service and to stay out of Walmart in Columbiana County. On June 27, 2025, he failed to scan and pay for 13 items totaling $312 at the Calcutta Walmart.

A charge of obstructing official business against Erin C. Figley, 43, Bacon Avenue, East Palestine, was dismissed at the request of the prosecutor. Figley had been accused of allegedly lying to police officers about an incident in Columbiana on July 27, 2025.

Michael J. Figley, 39, Bacon Avenue, East Palestine, was ordered to pay just court costs for disorderly conduct amended from obstructing official business. Figley was accused of lying to police officers and misleading law enforcement about an incident in Columbiana on July 27, 2025.

Gina M. Maniscalco, 29, South Lincoln Avenue, Salem, was fined $725 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for physical control amended from operating a vehicle impaired and disorderly conduct amended from endangering children. Another OVI charge was dismissed. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Maniscalco was accused of being impaired and attempting to leave with a child in the vehicle on April 26, 2025 in Salem.

Tiffany M. Davis, 35, James Drive, Wellsville, was fined $150 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct and intoxication. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Davis was unsteady on her feet and ran into Dollar General in East Liverpool with a book bag on May 30, 2025 after getting up from a chair outside when police arrived. She was attempting to hide the book bag and after placing her under arrest, officers found a used spoon, used hypodermic needle and several small folds with a purple powdered substance.

Isaiah Tyrique Cambridge, 28, St. George Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for criminal mischief. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. He sliced the rear driver side tire of another man’s vehicle on March 7 in East Liverpool.

Ethan Lawson Hughes, 27, Chester, W.Va., was fined $450 and sentenced to one day in jail, with credit for one day served, for theft and drug paraphernalia. Hughes stole eight items totaling $99 while working at the Calcutta Walmart on April 6 and when taken into custody, police found several tin foil folds with burn marks, and items with white residue inside. He also possessed a cut straw and metal burnt pipe on Oct. 17, 2025.

Kayla Clingerman, 39, Walnut Street, Salem, was fined $100 and sentenced to two days in jail, with credit for two days served, leaving no days to serve for criminal trespass. She trespassed on a Salem property on Jan. 24 after being told by Salem police that she wasn’t permitted on the property.

A probation violation hearing was set April 22 for Brandi J. Pasco, 47, Alliance, for a 2025 drug paraphernalia and drug instrument possession case.

Court News

LISBON — A man accused of causing a 2018 vacant house fire in East Palestine which resulted in injuries to two firefighters was placed on probation under community control after pleading guilty to one count of arson.

Matthew L. Harper, 29, Dayton, entered the guilty plea in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to a lesser-included offense of arson, a fourth-degree felony. The charge was originally a second-degree felony charge of aggravated arson.

Two additional aggravated arson charges, both first-degree felonies, will be dismissed. He received credit for four days served in jail.

The indictment alleged that on Aug. 10, 2018, Harper, by means of fire or explosion, knowingly created a substantial risk of serious physical harm to Michael Long and Robbie Hill and the structure at 973 West Main Street, East Palestine.

At the time of the indictment, Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino confirmed that Long and Hill were East Palestine firefighters at the time of the fire. A news story in 2018 about the fire indicated the three-story home was formerly an assisted living facility, but was vacant at the time of the fire with no utilities. The fire was ruled an arson.

The news story also noted that two firefighters were injured as they were attempting to get out of the way when a window blew out and they fell into a large hole that opened up in the ground.

The fire chief at the time said it appeared to be an eroded culvert on the southwest side of the house and the ground was unstable and gave way as the firefighters moved. They didn’t see it in the dark.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Craig M. Lower, 45, Louisville, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony, with sentencing set for June 11. He was originally charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for attempting to harm another man by means of a deadly weapon, a knife, on July 14, 2024.

— Alan P. Jakes Jr., 45, Main Street, Wellsville, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for violating the terms of his probation for attempted having weapons while under disability, a fourth-degree felony lesser offense. He received credit for 47 days served in jail. Jakes was originally charged for having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony, for possessing a firearm or dangerous ordnance on April 2, 2022 when he was prohibited from having weapons due to a previous felony conviction.

— Kenneth W. Hull, 43, Lincoln Avenue, Salem, was placed on a treatment plan for three years after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing cocaine on April 6, 2024. He received credit for four days served in jail.

— Brandon Kyle Hodges, 41, Highland Avenue, Wellsville, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for May 29. He possessed methamphetamine on Jan. 11, 2024.

— Larry J. Elkins, 45, Main Street, Wellsville, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, originally a second-degree felony, with sentencing set for June 2. Elkins possessed methamphetamine on April 8, 2024 in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk.

— A petition to vacate conviction and sentence for a woman convicted in a sex-for-hire case has been denied.

Shanika Simmons, 42, Struthers, had filed the petition regarding the jury verdict and 12-month prison sentence issued against her for fourth-degree felony promoting prostitution.

The petition was denied for not meeting sufficient facts establishing substantial evidence for relief and is also barred by res judicata which prevents the “repackage” of evidence that could have been provided at trial or in direct appeal.

Simmons had been accused of agreeing to provide sexual services and bring along a second female to provide sexual services in exchange for $450, arriving in East Palestine on Aug. 2, 2022 for the meeting with an undercover agent who posed as a buyer of sex online.

Besides the prison time, she was also deemed a Tier I sex offender requiring her to register her address with the sheriff’s office in county where she resides for the sex offender registration.

— Ronald L. Knight, 42, Wellsville, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony domestic violence. He faces up to eight months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Sentencing is set for May 18. He was originally charged with third-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly attempting to or causing harm to a member of his household Aug. 26, 2025 after previously being convicted of two domestic violence charges.