Court News

LISBON — Two men caught in sex-for-hire stings in East Palestine entered guilty pleas recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

Randy T. McCauley, 40, Canton, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution for allegedly responding to an undercover familial ad on a known prostitution website of an adult female and a minor female and arranging for sexual activity with both females in exchange for $260, then arriving in East Palestine on Nov. 28, 2025 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. Sentencing was set for Aug. 6.

Matthew D. Porter, 37, Vesper, Wisc., pleaded guilty to a lesser-included offense of attempted compelling prostitution, a fourth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Aug. 3. He was originally charged with third-degree felony compelling prostitution. Charges of fifth-degree felony possession of criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution will be dismissed. Porter was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website depicting an adult mother trafficking her minor daughter and arranging to have sexual conduct with both mother and daughter in exchange for $220. The affidavit said he was given multiple chances to only see the adult and requested the mother keep the minor there for the sex acts, arriving in East Palestine on Oct. 25, 2025 for the meeting, with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Sakeem J. Griffin, 26, Cincinnati, was placed under community control for six months, non-reporting, after pleading guilty to a lesser-included offense of theft, a misdemeanor. Griffin was originally charged with grand theft, a fourth-degree felony, for stealing $11,697 over a period from April 29, 2024 to June 28, 2024 from TG Realty. Griffin was ordered to make restitution of $11,697.

— Cagney Allen Springer, 37, Penn Avenue, East Liverpool, was sentenced to seven days in jail, with credit for seven days served, leaving no time to serve after pleading guilty to lesser-included offenses of attempted breaking and entering and attempted theft from a person in a protected class, both misdemeanors. He was originally charged with fifth-degree felonies of breaking and entering and theft from a person in protected class for trespassing in an unoccupied structure on Minerva Street, East Liverpool and taking a refrigerator and stove on Jan. 16, 2025.

— Courtney M. Delauder, 28, Columbus, was placed under community control for three years and sentenced to 38 days in jail, with credit for 38 days served, for fourth-degree felony attempted intimidation, a lesser offense of the original charge of third-degree felony intimidation of an attorney, victim or witness in a criminal case. Delauder was accused of attempting by force or threat of force to influence, intimidate, or hinder the victim of a crime or delinquent act in the filing or prosecution of criminal charges on Sept. 18, 2025.

— Todd Dean, 46, Aetna Street, Salem, was placed under community control for two years and ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on June 7, 2024.

— Angela D. Nalley, 47, Mulberry Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 120 days in jail, with credit for 27 days served, leaving a balance of 93 days still to serve for violating the terms of her probation for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. Her community control was dishonorably terminated. She possessed cocaine on Nov. 17, 2022.

— Fredrick D. Carter, 36, last known address Conneaut, was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of a lesser offense of attempted aggravated possession of drugs, a misdemeanor which was originally aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and ordered to forfeit $265. The jail term was ordered served at the same time with the two-year prison term he’s already serving for a Cuyahoga County case of attempted felonious assault. Carter possessed methamphetamine, $265 and a drug commonly known as bath salts on June 27, 2020.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Justin D. Gunther, 45, Midland, Pa., was served Thursday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for third-degree felony possession of a fentanyl-related compound, fourth-degree felony possession of heroin and fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs for allegedly possessing 5 to 10 grams of fentanyl, 1 to 5 grams of heroin and possessing methamphetamine, all on March 20, 2025.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a case against Christopher Allan Dorsey, 45, Erie Street, East Liverpool, was bound over to the county grand jury for fifth-degree felony violation of a protection order for allegedly walking through a protected person’s yard on May 27 in East Liverpool, seen on camera walking through the yard to take a picture of a vehicle and then walking back through the yard. Another charge of violation of a protection order, a misdemeanor, was dismissed

A case against John Carl Reinhart, 54, East Clark Street, East Palestine, was bound over to the county grand jury for third-degree felony domestic violence for allegedly hitting a woman in the face and putting his hands over her throat on May 27 in East Palestine.

A status conference hearing was set Aug. 10 and a court trial was set Aug. 26 for Amanda M. Kiger, 52, Center Street, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly striking a man in the face with her knee on April 4 in East Liverpool.

John M. Corradi, 37, Midland, Pa., was fined $700 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 165 days suspended and credit for eight days served, leaving a balance of seven days still to serve in jail, with 40 hours community service ordered for domestic violence and aggravated menacing for being aggressive toward a woman and destroying a tire on her vehicle on March 9 in St. Clair Township. On May 17, he made statements about coming to burn the woman’s house down in St. Clair Township.

Zachary S. Rexroad, 26, Minerva Street, East Liverpool, was fined $550 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 178 days suspended and credit for two days served, for assault, unlawful restraint and obstructing official business amended from disruption of public services, with 20 hours community service ordered. Rexroad was ordered to have no contact with the victim. He screamed at a woman, grabbed the phone from her hand when she was going to call 911, then slammed her to the floor and pinned her down when she attempted to get the phone back on May 18 in East Liverpool. Once she was able to get up, he wouldn’t let her leave and she locked herself in a room, opening the window to yell for help.

Matthew Christopher Ward, 38, Michigan Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 10 days served, leaving 20 days still to serve in jail for aggravated menacing and theft for stealing medical supplies from Trinity Professional Group in East Liverpool on May 22 and making threats against police officers for allegedly taking his medication a few days before that.

Kily Wright, 25, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $350 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for endangering children, with 20 hours community service ordered. She was accused of creating a risk to a child when a 4-year-old ate two THC gummies of 1,000 mg each while Wright was asleep on Feb. 27 in East Liverpool.

Cody Hedge, 18, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, was ordered evaluated for sanity and competency by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio for a menacing case for allegedly threatening to burn a woman’s house down on May 26 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set June 17 for Daniel Polanco Castillo, 40, Bronx, N.Y., charged with assault and theft for allegedly assaulting a woman, grabbing a phone and running off with it on June 2 in Liverpool Township. According to the affidavit, the victim said he was a solicitor and she recovered her phone in a yard where he had deleted photos and a recording of himself before throwing her phone into the yard.

George Edward Faulkner, 39, state Route 14, East Palestine, was fined $200 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 16 days served, leaving a balance of 14 days to serve in jail for telecommunications harassment and menacing for sending threatening text messages to a man on Nov. 2, 2025 in East Palestine

Blaine S. Perry II, 39, First Street, Wellsville, was fined $200 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 11 days suspended and credit for 19 days served, for disorderly conduct amended from assault, with 20 hours community service ordered. He head butted a woman during an argument on Jan. 27, 2024 in Wellsville.

Tyler Howell, 28, New Cumberland, W.Va., was fined $1,015 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 165 days suspended and credit for six days served in jail and three days served in a driver intervention program, leaving six days to still serve in jail and 20 hours community service ordered for endangering children, drug paraphernalia, operating a vehicle impaired and no license. His license was suspended for one year. He had a child in the vehicle while impaired and possessed a rolled up paper with suspected narcotics during a traffic stop on May 26 in East Liverpool.

A status conference hearing was set Aug. 12 and a court trial was set Aug. 24 for James A. Naples, 38, Warren, charged with unauthorized use of motor vehicle for allegedly test driving a truck from Stadium GM on Oct. 2, 2025 and not returning it in the agreed upon time frame.

A pretrial was set Aug. 3 for Victoria Rakel Redman, 20, West Sixth Street, East Liverpool, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing at Oddfellow Apartments on June 2 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Aug. 12 for Kacandra I. Seddon, 45, Lisa Lane, Lisbon, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing on a Depot Road, Lisbon property in the middle of the night on June 3 in Center Township.

A pretrial was set Aug. 10 for Carmen N. Reynolds, 19, Main Street, Wellsville, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a small straw and plastic bag with white residue in it during a traffic stop when she was the passenger on June 2 in Liverpool Township.

A pretrial was set Aug. 10 for Cassandra R. Manley, 38, Bell Road, Lisbon, charged with drug paraphernalia, two counts OVI, left of center, failure to display valid sticker for allegedly possessing a small plastic straw and torch during a traffic stop on June 2 in Liverpool Township. The other OVI occurred on May 30.

A pretrial was set Aug. 12 for Michael W. Saltsman, 64, Second Street, Hanoverton, charged with OVI and improper/expired registration.

A pretrial was set Aug. 4 for Andrew Joseph Wright, 34, Brown Street, Lisbon, charged with OVI and speeding.

A pretrial was set June 24 for Timothy Tipton, 30, Parma Heights, charged with OVI, OVI breath and left of center.

A pretrial was set Aug. 5 for David W. Wright, 66, Dresden Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with OVI, OVI breath and marked lanes.

A disposition hearing was set June 8 for Gabrielle Carmen Jean Morris, 27, Grandview Street, East Liverpool, charged with OVI and a turn signal violation.

Daniel L. Johnson, 49, Michigan Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $925 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended and credit for three days served, leaving seven days still to serve in jail for OVI and failure to control, with a two-year license suspension and 20 hours community service ordered.

Brittany M. Smith, 35, North Price Road, Salem, was fined $1,075 and sentenced to 180 days, with 177 days suspended, with credit for three days and $500 of the fine suspended for attending a driver intervention program, for OVI and marked lanes. Her license was suspended for one year, with 40 hours community service ordered.

Eric C. Hoppel, 70, Hoppel Drive, East Liverpool, was fined $1,375 for unsafe vehicle, expired registration, three counts driving under suspension, three counts driving under 12-point suspension and two counts forfeiture suspension. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 176 days suspended and credit for one day served, leaving a balance of three days to serve in jail. He was ordered to complete 25 hours community service and his vehicle was ordered impounded for 30 days.

A pretrial was set June 10 for Deandre D. Coleman, 37, Alliance, charged with domestic violence for allegedly sending threatening text messages to a woman in Salem on May 26, saying he would kill her when he saw her.

A charge of theft against Donald R. Cross, 77, West 14th Street, Salem, was dismissed. Cross had been accused of failing to scan and pay for $93 worth of items at the Salem Walmart on Feb. 12.

Kirsten S. Mirabelli, 27, Bethel Park, Pa., was ordered to serve 30 days in jail for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence, to be served at the same time as the prison term already being served. She punched another woman in the face during an argument July 22, 2024 in East Palestine.

Shawna Lewis, 40, West Martin Street, East Palestine, was fined $300 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for two days served, for two counts of disorderly conduct amended from two counts domestic violence, with 25 hours community service ordered. She’s ordered to have no contact with the victim. Lewis struck a man in the face during a domestic on March 2 in New Waterford. On Dec. 19, 2025, she threw a plate at him that cut his leg in East Palestine.

Jennifer Lynne Rawson, 39, Main Street, Wellsville, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 165 days suspended, leaving 15 days to serve in jail for two counts of endangering children, with 20 hours community service ordered. Rawson was accused of creating a risk to the health and safety of two children by not properly securing the door, waking up to find the two children missing on Aug. 23, 2025 in East Liverpool. Police found the two children naked near a wooded area 300 yards from the apartment.

Tyler J. Brown, 25, Cleveland Street, Salem, was fined $100 for disorderly conduct amended from obstructing official business for running from a vehicle which crashed into a house on North Jefferson Street in Lisbon on Nov. 3, 2025 when a traffic stop was attempted.

A status conference hearing was set June 30 and a court trial was set July 14 for Nickolas P. Perez, 34, N. Beaver Street, Lisbon, charged with criminal mischief, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct for allegedly going through a woman’s vehicle on Nov. 21, 2024 in Columbiana, breaking a crossbow arrow and items found outside of the vehicle. On April 2, 2025 in Lisbon, he punched another man in the face during a fight.

A status conference hearing was set June 15 for Joseph R. Adams, 48, Holliday Street, East Liverpool, charged with failure to comply, drug paraphernalia, no license, use of unauthorized plate, improper/expired registration and three counts driving under suspension. Adams allegedly fled from police trying to initiate a traffic stop in East Liverpool on his motorcycle and when he did come to a stop, allegedly possessed a burnt pipe with residue on April 3, 2025

A pretrial was set Aug. 10 for David L. Todd, 54. Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, charged with theft for allegedly stuffing two 10-packs of Fireball whiskey into his pants on June 1 at Discount Drug Mart in Lisbon.

Rosie J. Faulkner, 38, West Martin Street, East Palestine, was ordered serve to 45 days in jail, with credit for 16 days served, leaving a balance of 29 days to serve for obstructing official business amended from tampering with evidence and for violating the terms of her probation for 2023 cases of obstructing official business, a red light violation, operating a vehicle impaired and attempted. She was also fined $200 for the 2025 case of obstructing official business for an incident on April 13, 2025 in East Palestine.

Ryan Scott Weldon, 32, East Liverpool Road, East Liverpool, was fined $400 for reckless operation amended from operating a vehicle impaired, failure to control and use of unauthorized plate. Charges of driving under suspension were dismissed. His license was suspended for one year, with 30 hours community service ordered.

A pretrial and preliminary hearing were set June 10 for Kelly Reed, 36, Broadway Avenue, Wellsville, charged with fourth-degree felony assault, and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business for allegedly disobeying multiple orders to exit her vehicle during a traffic stop in St. Clair Township on May 31, and for kneeing an officer in the elbow causing it to hyperextend when they undid her seatbelt after being transported to the police department.

A preliminary hearing was set June 8 for Heather Sluss, 42, homeless, charged with fifth-degree felony breaking and entering for allegedly entering a vacant residence in Wellsville without permission on May 29.

A preliminary hearing was set June 8 for David Heddleston III, 26, homeless, charged with fifth-degree felony breaking and entering for allegedly entering a vacant residence in Yellow Creek Township without permission on May 29.

A preliminary hearing was set June 10 for Shaun Delauder, 45, state Route 45, Lisbon, charged with third-degree felony having weapons under disability, driving under suspension, and failure to display a valid sticker for allegedly possessing a loaded firearm while under disability in Lisbon on May 31.

A pretrial was set Aug. 11 for Skyler McAffee, 18, Thompson Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly punching a man in the side in East Liverpool on May 31.

A pretrial was set Aug. 4 for Samantha Beyer, 42, John Street, East Liverpool, charged with cruelty to animals for allegedly leaving a dog chained in the basement of a condemned residence without food or water in East Liverpool on May 19.

A pretrial was set Aug. 10 for Michael White, 51, Tippecanoe Road, Columbiana, charged with obstructing official business and resisting arrest for allegedly pushing officers and instructing a witness not to speak with officers during an investigation in Columbiana on May 29.

A pretrial was set July 29 for John Schepp, 45, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly arranging to meet with an undercover agent from the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force in Unity Township for sexual activity in exchange for $150 and possessing the currency and the cellular device used to arrange the criminal act at that time on May 29.

A pretrial was set Aug. 11 for Savannah Gulu, 18, North Shadylane, East Liverpool, charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling loudly while intoxicated in East Liverpool on May 30.

A pretrial was set Aug. 3 for Justin Cox, 32, Ellyson Road, East Rochester, charged with resisting arrest and obstructing official business for allegedly refusing to move out of the way of deputies as instructed during an assault investigation and turning away from the deputies, refusing to put his hands behind his back, and pulling his arms away refusing to be handcuffed after he was informed he was being placed under arrest in Hanover Township on May 2.

A pretrial was set July 28 for Liliana Varela, 20, Princess Street, Campbell, charged with criminal damaging for allegedly spray painting several inappropriate images on a building in East Palestine on May 5.

A pretrial was set July 28 for Timothy Browning, 20, Princess Street, Campbell, charged with criminal damaging for allegedly spray painting several inappropriate images on a building in East Palestine on May 5.

A pretrial was set July 21 for Anthony Riddle, 38, Fifth Avenue, Steubenville, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly giving officer multiple false names during a traffic stop in Liverpool Township on May 31.

A pretrial was set Aug. 25 for Seth Talbott, 82, Leland Drive, East Liverpool, charged with obstructing official business, OVI and traffic control devices for allegedly refusing to exit his vehicle when ordered to do so during a traffic stop in East Liverpool on March 14.

A pretrial was set July 21 for Tyson Matthew Hecht Moody, 25, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with OVI first offense.

A pretrial was set July 21 for Craig Wischerman, 51, Park Court, Columbiana, charged with OVI first offense and reasonable control.

Lisa M. Richards, 40, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, was fined $615 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 OVI and marked lanes. Another OVI was dismissed. Her license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and 20 hours community service.

William C. Pratz, 33, Market Street, East Liverpool, was fined $1,175 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended, leaving 10 days to serve in jail for OVI, driving under suspension and marked lanes. He also must serve 20 days electronically monitored house arrest with work release and complete 40 hours community service. His license was suspended for three years.