Grand Jury

LISBON — Brandi Jo Pasco, 47, Alliance, was served Tuesday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for third-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs for allegedly preparing for sale and possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on April 24, 2025.

Nancymarie B. Garwood, 42, Vine Avenue, Salem, charged with possession of cocaine, aggravated possession of drugs, possession of a fentanyl-related compound and possession of drugs, all fifth-degree felonies, for allegedly possessing cocaine, methamphetamine and zylazine March 17, 2025.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, Thomas McClellan Redman III, 43, Sprucevale Road, Rogers, was fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 10 days served, leaving 20 days still to serve in jail for domestic violence. A fourth-degree felony strangulation charge was dismissed by the prosecution, with the alleged victim notified.

Redman was accused of striking a woman in the face and then placing his hands around her neck, then pushing her to the ground during an altercation March 30 in East Liverpool. He was also ordered to serve 20 days in jail for violating the terms of his probation for a 2025 driving under suspension charge, to be served at the same time as the other jail term for domestic violence.

Fernell Howard, 36, Akron, was fined $850 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and an education course. Howard responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $80, then arrived in East Palestine on Jan. 22 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. The affidavit said when he was stopped at the meeting location, he allegedly proceeded to delete the texting application from his mobile device.

Richard Louth Bruzda, 45, Butler, Pa., was fined $550 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for attempted engaging in prostitution amended from engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and a prostitution prevention course which was already completed. Bruzda responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and offered to bring the woman methamphetamine and pay her money via the Cash Ap for sexual activity, then traveled to East Palestine on Dec. 6, 2025 with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession, a meth pipe and suspected methamphetamine.

A pretrial was set June 9 for April L. Essary, 33, Follansbee, W.Va., charged with theft and obstructing official business for allegedly opening a bag of chips, eating some and then shoving the opened bag of chips down the front of her pants at the Duke & Duchess gas station in Columbiana on April 8, then denied the allegations and claimed she had a colostomy bag. The police then found the bag of chips down the front of her leggings and she admitted to not having a colostomy bag, the affidavit said.

A pretrial was set April 13 for Antoine Lester Moman, 51, St. George Street, East Liverpool, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly ignoring numerous commands from officers and drug task force agents executing a search warrant at an East Liverpool property on April 6.

Travis B. Ferguson, 38, 10th Street Extension, Wellsville, was fined $350 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for theft amended from passing bad checks. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Restitution was complete. Ferguson was accused of issuing a bad check for $1,018 to Quaker City Septic in Leetonia on Sept. 16, 2025.

A status conference hearing was set June 17 and a court trial was a set June 24 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 account on July 12, 2025 in Washington Township.

Kerry Y. Englert, 56, Pembrooke Drive, Salem, was fined $150 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for theft. She was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to stay away from Walmart in Salem. Englert stole $258 worth of merchandise from the Salem Walmart on Dec. 24, 2025 when she was seen putting tools and other items in her purse.

A pretrial was set June 10 for Zackary J. McFarland, 27, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, charged with illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a clear pipe with burnt residue and two clear baggies with a white crystal substance on April 7 during a traffic stop.

A pretrial was set June 3 for William Lee Michaels III, 37, Youngstown, charged with operating a vehicle impaired second offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Donald T. Williams, 38, Brookfield Avenue, Lisbon, charged with OVI first offense and traffic control devices.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Chase Anthony-Michael Valerio, 19, Lexington Avenue, Salem, charged with driving while texting.

Benjamin Lawren Krueger, 41, New Castle, Pa., was fined $565 and sentenced to three days in jail for merged charges of operating a vehicle impaired and OVI breath. A charge of operating an all purpose vehicle was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for one year.

Brandon Scott McCaskell, 36, East Duquesne Street, Columbiana, was fined $35 for an equipment violation/plate light amended from a stop sign violation.

Mory Sanogo, 30, Bedford, was fined $150 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Logan Stewart, 30, McKinnon Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for no license amended from driving under suspension.

Domonique Janelle Lemon, 39, Girard, was fined $150 for driving under suspension, but received no fine for driving while texting, with a distracted driving course completed.

Amy J. Arotin, 46, West South Range Road, Columbiana, was ordered to pay costs only for driving under suspension.

Lexi Galbert, 30, Springfield, was ordered to pay court costs only for an equipment violation amended from failure to control.

Michael Allen Bouffine, 29, East Main Street, East Palestine, was fined $150 for speeding and unauthorized plate.

Alexis Williams, 26, Cincinnati, was fined $190 for driving under suspension and lane violation.

Joseph Allen Kahrig, 36, Newton Falls, was fined $50 for speeding.

Wilson Armando Pacheco Lopez, 26, Salem Unity Road, Salem, was fined $50 for failure to control.

James H. Wilkes, 50, Stagecoach Road, East Liverpool, was fined $25 for driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set June 8 for Johnny Lee Exline, 52, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with drug paraphernalia, no license and a turn signal violation for alleged possessing a metal burnt crack pipe during a traffic stop on April 3 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set April 29 for John Christopher Tucker, 52, Mechanicstown Road, Hanoverton, charged with operating a vehicle impaired first offense, OVI breath first offense and reasonable control.

A court trial was set May 13 for Brandon J. Lutman, 21, Leetonia Road, Leetonia, charged with traffic control devices.

Daniel N. Sisco Jr., 65, Shadyside Road, Columbiana,, was fined $350 for driving under suspension, marked lanes and open container.

Tyler Michael Schultz, 19, Detwiler Road, Columbiana, was fined $150 for speeding.

Ashley M. Rogers, 40, Canton, was fined $75 for no license amended from driving under suspension.

Diane E. Seely, 79, Newgarden Avenue, Salem, was fined $50 for reasonable control.

Kyle Smith, 41, Clinton, Pa., was fined $200 for driving under suspension and reasonable control.

Michael Rutana, 42, Spinnaker Drive, Columbiana, was fined $75 for no license amended from driving under suspension.

Ben Cronin, 47, Wood Street, Salineville, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

Frank J. Lacey, 63, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $190 for expired registration and open container.

Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Elio P. Lerussi, Sprucevale Road, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Sprucevale Road, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer vs. Andrew D. McKarns, Fink Road, Kensington, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Fink Road, Kensington property.

Leah C. Piesciuk, North 17th Street, Sebring, and Nicholas C. Piesciuk, Canton; dissolution sought.

Marissa Chen, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, and Weifeng Chen, North Versailles, Pa.; dissolution sought.

Sarah E. Beech, Tower Road, Salem, and Brian Beech, Tower Road, Salem; dissolution sought.

Tami Combs, Salem Grange Road, Salem, vs. Cherokee Rose Residential, LLC, West State Street, Salem, et al.; damages and reinstatement sought for alleged claims of disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, retaliation, and aiding and abetting unlawful discrimination.

Stephanie Humphrey, Ridge Street, Leetonia, vs. Charles Peck III, East Martin Street, East Palestine; divorce sought.

Rocket Mortgage LLC, Coppell, Texas, vs. Jordan T. Bess, East Street, East Palestine, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Des Moines, Iowa, vs. Daniel Solmen, as personal representative of Marvin F. Johnson, deceased, Youngstown, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Seven Seventeen Credit Union Inc., Warren, vs. Jack E. Blystone, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem; collection sought of alleged $15,327 debt plus $802 interest.

Velocity Investments, LLC, Wall, N.J., vs. Neal Bean, Annesley Road, East Liverpool; collection sought of alleged $15,142 debt.

Docket Entries

Equify Financial LLC vs. Salem Real Properties, LLC, Envelope1 Inc., Pidgeon Envelope LLC, E1 Digital Direct, Sharon Pidgeon and Tarry Pidgeon; sale of foreclosed property at 964 Benton Road, Salem by court-appointed receiver authorized for $3 million to Process Equipment Inc.

Amy K. Lenevich vs. Christopher J. Levevich; divorce granted.

County Treasurer vs. Michael E. Sanor, et al.; Dale Pennsylvania Royalty, LP and TotalEnergies E & P USA Inc. dismissed as defendants.

County Treasurer vs. Dillon T. Green, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed.

PIVC Bank National Association vs. Donald J. Hays; defendant ordered to pay $10,397.32

Prestige Financial Services Inc. vs. John R. Channels; defendant ordered to pay $26,719.29

Columbiana County treasurer vs. unknown heirs of Cynthia Ruth King; foreclosure requested for alleged $3,636.56 debt on a Pritchard Avenue, Lisbon, property

Freedom Mortgage Corporation vs. Lewis B. Andric, et al.; case stayed due to bankruptcy filing.

County Treasurer vs. Joel M. Campbell, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Thomas P. Ashdown, trustee of Thomas P. Ashdown Family Trust, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Mark Karol; payment plan entered, case stayed.

JPMorgan Chase Bank vs. Virginia K. Daniels, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Wellsville property.

Nickole E. Sears vs. John M. Sears; divorce granted.

Huntington National Bank vs. David M. Thompson, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for 15th Street, Wellsville property.