Common Pleas

NEW CASES

Ally Bank, Solon, vs. Marci M. Macuso-Kirkpatrick, Washington Street, Leetonia; collection sought of alleged $5,160 debt.

Ryan Rossi, Metz Road East, Columbiana, vs. Imperial Glazing Concepts, Inc., Niles, and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Columbus; appeal of claim denial.

U.S. Bank National Association, Owensboro, Ky., vs. Kelly Applegate, Minerva Street, East Liverpool, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Minerva Street, East Liverpool property.

U.S. Bank National Association, Greenville, S.C., vs. Mary Browning, also known as Mary J. Dewitt, Tucson, Ariz., et al.; mortgage foreclosure for Glasgow Road, Lisbon property.

Autovest, LLC, Cincinnati vs. Anthony M. Zimmerly, Gavers Road, Hanoverton; collection sought of alleged $22,281 debt plus $2,513 interest and $160 fees.

DOCKET ENTRIES

Chad W. Rose Sr. vs. Chappell & Zimmerman, Inc., et al.; case settled and dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Bryan D. Worth, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Tammy J. Woodburn, now known as Reno, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed.

Tracie Lynn Cameron vs. Chrystal D. Thompson; case settled and dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Judith Cox, et al.; stay lifted, case restored to active docket.

County Treasurer vs. Terry L. Miller; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Elio P. Lerussi, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

Amber Douglass and Dylan Douglass; dissolution granted.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Robert L. Mackall III, 34, East Liverpool, operator, and Paige I. Craig, 29, East Liverpool, independent contractor.

Jocelyn A. Eckman, 49, Salem, digital team lead, and Judith V. Adams, 49, Columbiana, overnight stocker.

Julio A. Box, 29, Salem, construction, and Maria H. Sica, 32, Salem, homemaker.

Adam K. Wiles, 30, Navarre, laborer, and Jessica R. Perry, 41, Lisbon, home health aid.

Richard W.B. Hack, 37, Salem, heavy equipment operator, and Amanda S. Coy, 39, Salem, lab info specialist.

Ryan R. Zeigler, 22, Salem, robot operator, and Nevaeh G. Lehman, 18, Salem, server.

Jacob A. McGuire, 29, Kensington, welder, and Jennifer R. Koehler, 30, Kensington, pipe fitter.

Anthony S. Rupert, 29, Beloit, carpenter, and Breanna L. Arnett, 27, Beloit, cost accountant.

Wayne A. Johnson, 44, East Palestine, CDL driver, and Brittany R. Johnson, 35, East Palestine, CNA.

Court News

LISBON — An East Palestine man already imprisoned on another case entered a guilty plea to failure to verify address for failing to verify his address for the sex offender registration in December 2025.

James E. Browne, 66, East Clark Avenue, appeared recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for a hearing regarding the third-degree felony failure to verify address charge.

After pleading guilty, he was immediately sentenced to nine months in prison, but to be served at the same time as the 18-month prison term he’s already been serving since April for violating the terms of his probation for a 2022 case of gross sexual imposition. According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, his expected release date is October 2027.

Browne was originally placed under community control for five years for the third-degree felony of gross sexual imposition after entering a plea. He had also been indicted for rape, but the rape charge was dismissed as part of the plea deal. The indictment accused him of rape and sexual contact involving a 6-year-old victim from Oct. 1, 1996 to Dec 31, 1998.

At the time of his sentencing in the gross sexual imposition case, he was serving a three-year prison term issued May 23, 2022 on charges of importuning and two counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. The charges involved him soliciting sexual activity from a law enforcement officer he believed to be 12 years old during a sex for hire sting April 10 and 11 in 2019 and sending that person obscene materials.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary/pretrial hearing was set July 15 for Dakota Hunter Trimnel, 23, Chester, W.Va., charged with third-degree felonies of two counts failure to comply and two counts of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer and fourth-degree felonies of failure to comply and fleeing and eluding police officer and misdemeanors of two counts reckless operation, two counts no license, marked lanes, failure to use turn signal, driving under suspension and two counts failure to display valid sticker. The charges stem from traffic incident on May 18 , May 28 and June 12 in East Liverpool. On June 12, he allegedly fled from police attempting a traffic stop on U.S. Route 30 at speeds to 120mph and 90 mph, crossing the Jennings Randolph Bridge towards West Virginia. The pursuit was terminated, but then the East Liverpool police officer assisted the Hancock County sheriff’s office and West Virginia state patrol in locating the vehicle in West Virginia. On May 28, he allegedly fled on a motorcycle when police attempted a traffic stop, at speeds over 100 mph, taking an exit toward West Virginia from state Route 39. On May 18, he allegedly fled on a motorcycle at high speeds from police attempting a traffic stop

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Aug. 5 for Antonio J. Jordan, 32, Vancouver, Wash., charged with third-degree felony failure to comply and misdemeanors of loud exhaust and two counts of traffic control devices. Jordan allegedly was fleeing from a traffic stop on June 26 in Center Township when a crash occurred.

A pretrial was set July 8 for Shawn W. Timmons, 40, East Third Street, Salem, charged with domestic violence for allegedly threatening a child by sending threatening text messages on June 27 in Salem.

A pretrial was set July 13 for Colt A. Heddy, 53, Niles, charged with assault for allegedly striking a woman in the face with a closed fist after first going after her with a knife before throwing the knife in the woods on June 22 in Madison Township.

A pretrial was set July 8 for Christopher Michael Tustin, 48, Chester, W.Va., charged with theft, domestic violence, assault, failure to stop after an accident, driving under suspension and assured clear distance. Tustin allegedly punched another man in the face and attacked a woman during a domestic in St. Clair Township on June 27. The traffic charges stem from a traffic incident on May 21 in Elkrun Township. On June 9, 2024, he grabbed a cake from the freezer at the East Liverpool Dairy Queen and left without paying, with the manager able to retrieve the cake after confronting him in the parking lot.

Justin Dean Chambers, 36, Industry, Pa., was fined $1,000 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 175 days suspended, leaving five days still to serve for two counts domestic violence, with one count amended from felony strangulation. He must complete 40 hours community service. The strangulation charge was amended due to an evidentiary issue after a conversation with the alleged victim, the judgment entry said. On March 24, he dragged a woman off of a bed and began choking her and attempted to throw her down some stairs.

George Ellis Montgomery, 73, Harvey Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $500 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 23 days served, leaving seven days still to serve for domestic violence, with two counts of disorderly conduct dismissed. He chased a woman with a piece of fence trying to hit her in East Liverpool on June 19.

Keith L. Scott, 22, state Route 164, Lisbon, was fined $500 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for assault and disorderly conduct, with 20 hours community service. He was ordered to make restitution of $2,205 and to have no contact with the victim. Scott was causing damage to a woman’s car on Jan. 10 in Perry Township when she attempted to stop him and he kicked her in the face multiple times. He ripped off her door panel, damaged her center console and broke out the passenger rear window. A charge of criminal damaging was dismissed.

A pretrial was set Sept. 2 for Asia Marie Williams, 38, East Liverpool Road, East Liverpool, charged with escape, operating a vehicle impaired, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years and improper backing for allegedly pulling her hands free from the handcuffs and beginning to leave the East Liverpool Police Department after being arrested for OVI on June 28 in East Liverpool. She was stopped and returned to the bench where she was cuffed and eventually pulled her hand free from the cuffs again.

A pretrial was set Sept. 1 for Deanna M. Rutledge, 35, Warren, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly posting an ad offering sex for hire on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with whom she believed was a man and a woman in exchange for money, arriving in East Palestine on June 26 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in her possession.

Kyle Robert Peterson, 43, Erie, Pa., was fined $500 and received a suspended 120-day jail term for engaging in prostitution. Charges of possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business were dismissed. He was ordered to forfeit $80 to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. Peterson responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $80, asking her to wear a short skirt, then traveled to East Palestine on Nov. 11, 2025 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. When he arrived, he failed to follow commands and was allegedly attempting to delete the texting application from his phone.

Tanner Baldwin Shawl, 40, Finleyville, Pa., was fined $500 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution. Charges of possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia were dismissed at the request of the state due to evidentiary issues. He must complete 20 hours community service. He was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $80, then arriving in East Palestine on Nov. 14, 2025 for the meeting. He also possessed an alleged item for smoking crack cocaine.

Timothy A. Lansky, 33, Augusta, Ga., was fined $750 and given a suspended 90-day jail term, 20 hours community service and ordered to complete an education course for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. He requested sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $100 from an undercover agent and drove to Salem on Aug. 7, 2025 for the meeting. He was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

Shawn Robert Shirk, 44, Genesee, Pa., was fined $1,200 and must serve at least one day in jail for obstructing official business, engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools, and reckless operation amended from OVI. Charges of refuse to submit to test for commercial motor vehicle or commercial driver’s license, no seat belt and marked lanes were dismissed. For the prostitution case, a 180-day jail term was suspended. For the reckless operation, the sentence was 30 days with 27 suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program. For the obstructing charge, he was sentenced to 90 days, with 88 days suspended and credit for one day, leaving one day to serve in jail. Community service of 25 hours was ordered, along with a prostitution prevention course. On July 19, 2025, he failed to exit the vehicle after being asked multiple times during a traffic stop in Perry Township upon suspicion of being impaired. On Jan. 15, 2026, he arrived in East Palestine for a sex-for-hire meeting after responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $140. He also possessed the phone used to make the arrangements.

David Craig Valent, 53, Rochester, Pa., was fined $750 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools, with 20 hours community service. He already completed an education course. Valent responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $80, then traveled to East Palestine on Feb. 11 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Kenneth Joseph Buzzard, 76, Pittsburgh, Pa., was fined $500 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution. A charge of possessing criminal tools was dismissed and he was ordered to complete a prostitution prevention course. Buzzard responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with women in exchange for $150, then traveled to East Palestine on Nov 11, 2025 for the meeting.

A pretrial was set Aug. 3 for Nicola D Strother, 41, First Street, Beloit, charged with theft for allegedly stealing a package from a woman’s porch on U.S. Route 62 in Knox Township and then bringing it back and dropping it at the end of a driveway on Westville Lake Road on April 30.

A pretrial was set Aug. 26 for Virginia M. Christy-Keener, 72, Moore Street, East Liverpool, charged with theft for allegedly stealing $758 worth of items from the Salem Walmart while working with another woman on June 28.

Jacob J. Fullerton, 25, West California Avenue, Sebring, was fined $1,075 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 80 days suspended, leaving 10 days still to serve in jail for two merged OVI charges, open container, and disorderly conduct amended from obstructing official business. Fullerton wasn’t following commands during a traffic stop April 19 in Perry Township. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and his license was suspended for two years.

Britton K. Steiginga, 32, Walnut Grove Drive, New Waterford, was fined $250 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for obstructing official business, with 20 hours community service. He was refusing to identify himself or provide his identification and refused to exit the vehicle during a traffic stop on Feb. 28 in Columbiana.

Derica Charnel Barnett, 37, West Eighth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and sentenced to 10 days in jail, with credit for seven days served, leaving three days to serve in jail for complicity for being the driver for an alleged shoplifter on Feb. 18 at the Calcutta Walmart. She was also ordered to serve an additional 30 days in jail for violating the terms of her probation for a 2022 theft case.

Thomas Glen Reed, 38, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and given a suspended 90-day jail term and 20 hours community service for theft for stealing a generator out of the Calcutta Walmart on March 24.

A pretrial was set Sept. 2 for Alvin W. Carnes, 42, West Washington Street, Lisbon, charged with criminal damaging for allegedly throwing rocks at a motorcycle and another motor vehicle on June 29 at state Route 164 and Mattix Road in Center Township.

A pretrial was set Aug. 26 for Doyle L. Conner Jr., 40, Third Street, Salem, charged with complicity to commit theft for allegedly driving the vehicle after a person stole groceries from Walmart in Salem on June 26.

A pretrial was set Sept. 1 for Frank James Lacey, 63, Georgetown, Ky., charged with drug paraphernalia, expired license and tail light violation for allegedly possessing a burnt glass pipe with an unknown residue during a traffic stop on June 24 in East Liverpool.

Christopher Nelson Read, 47, Coraopolis, Pa., was fined $645 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, with 20 hours community service, for physical control amended from OVI, no seat belt and a turn signal violation. Another OVI was dismissed. His license was suspended for one year. He also must serve 10 days electronically monitored house arrest.

George David Faber, 65, Youngstown, was fined $100 for open container for having an open container of alcohol on June 21 in East Liverpool.