Trending
Common Pleas
NEW CASES
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Johna Wilson, Hartley Road, Alliance; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Hartley Road, Alliance property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Ruth Ann Bowers, Etruria Street, East Liverpool; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Etruria Street, East Liverpool property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Shawn A. Snyder, Toronto; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Monaca Street, East Liverpool property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Comprehensive Behavioral Health Associates Inc., West Fifth Street, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for West Fifth Street, East Liverpool property.
Ashley E. Gamble, Olnhausen Street, East Liverpool, vs. Justin Gamble, Olnhausen Street, East Liverpool; divorce sought.
DOCKET ENTRIES
Planet Home Lending LLC vs. Kristina Briden, et al.; case dismissed.
Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC vs. Kelsey Shannon, et al.; previous judgment vacated, case dismissed.
Data Mortgage Inc. vs. James Cope, et al.; case reactivated.
William Ray Davis vs. Sierra Sunshine Davis; divorce granted.
Huntington National Bank vs. Randy Cope, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Pinetree Circle, East Palestine property.
North Gateway Tire Co., Inc. vs. Corey A. Burt,, et al.; defendant/cross-plaintiff's crossclaim and counter claim dismissed.
County Treasurer vs. Quaker Hall, LLC, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.
County Treasurer vs. John E. Zoppelt, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.
Grand Jury
LISBON -- A Salem man accused of trafficking and possessing methamphetamine and cocaine was served Monday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury.
Travis Culler, 38, South Lincoln Avenue, Salem, was charged with second-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs and fifth-degree felonies of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine for allegedly attempting to sell and possessing cocaine and attempting to sell and possessing an amount of methamphetamine equal or greater than five times bulk but less than 50 times bulk on March 13, 2026.
Also served with a secret indictment was Stephen L. Nelder, 38, Park Avenue, Salem, charged with nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly failing to pay support from July 21, 2024 to July 19, 2026.
Court News
LISBON -- A man already sentenced in March to 36 months in prison on drug charges will have another 12 months tacked on for two more drug counts, bringing his total prison time to 48 months.
Devon H. Jones, 34, Cleveland, was sentenced recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fourth-degree felony, and possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing cocaine and 1 to 5 grams of fentanyl on June 27, 2025.
The sentence was ordered served consecutively to the sentence he received in March for three counts of trafficking in heroin, a fourth-degree felony, when he received three consecutive 12-month terms. He received credit for 15 days served.
Charges dismissed from that case included three counts of trafficking in fentanyl-related compound and three counts of trafficking in drugs. The charges in that indictment involved heroin and fentanyl, both in amounts equal or greater than 1 gram but less than 5 grams, and Xylazine in an amount less than bulk, all on July 10, 2023, July 14, 2023 and July 25, 2023.
Also in Common Pleas Court:
-- Kim S. Weekley, 61, Hilltop Drive, Lisbon, was placed under community control for one year after pleading guilty to arson registration violation, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to register as required on Feb. 24, 2026 for the arson offender registration.
-- Jaden S. Koehn, 24, Mountz Road, Minerva, was ordered to serve 210 days in jail, with credit for 120 days already served, for violating the terms of his probation for two counts of trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, a fourth-degree felony. His probation was dishonorably terminated. The incidents occurred on Feb. 4, 2025.
-- Shawn Harpold, 46, Spring Grove Avenue, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing cocaine on Nov. 20, 2025.
-- Mark E. Foden, 56, Park Place Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony tampering with evidence, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia and tampering with evidence on Feb. 21, 2026.
-- Cody L. Jones, 36, Mill Street, Salineville, was sentenced to 90 days in jail (12 days credited), for nonsupport of dependents, a fourth-degree felony, for failing to pay child support from October 2023 through October 2025.
-- Laura A. Weddell, 63, West Market Street, Alliance, was placed probation for one year for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine Nov. 20, 2022.
-- Robert B. Kerstanski, 46, Youngstown, was sentenced to 270 days in jail (268 days credited) for obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony, and engaging in prostitution, a first-degree misdemeanor for fleeing from an officer after responding to ad for sexual activity Oct. 17, 2025. A charge of possession of criminal tools for having the cell phone he used to set up the meeting was dismissed.
Municipal
LISBON -- In Columbiana County Municipal Court, charges of aggravated menacing and violation of a protection order against Brayden Michael Olson, 19, McCoy Avenue, East Liverpool, were dismissed at the request of the prosecutor due to evidentiary issues. The aggravated menacing charge stemmed from Olson allegedly sending threatening messages via social media on April 3 to a victim in East Liverpool saying he was going to beat the victim up. The protection order charge stemmed from Olson allegedly sending several messages and trying to call a protected person via social media on Sept. 2 in East Liverpool.
Scott M. Groves, 45, Riverside Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $600 and sentenced to 120 days in jail, with credit for 17 days served, leaving a balance of 103 days still to serve in jail for menacing, criminal trespass and two counts of assault. On Sept. 22, he punched another man in the face at the Elks Lodge in Wellsville and spit in his face. On Oct. 2, he trespassed on the Elks Lodge property in Wellsville and was threatening to beat people up, with police finding him in a fighting stance and yelling at four members of the Elks.
A pretrial was set Dec. 7 for Tyler William Howard, 19, Wyoming Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with assault for allegedly flicking a cigarette into another man's face on Oct. 13 in St. Clair Township.
Dylan A. Miller, 19, West Ninth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $200 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for two days served, for disorderly conduct amended from assault for assaulting a juvenile at the West Ninth Street playground in East Liverpool on Aug. 23.
Stefan McLane Kutney, 32, Marysville, was fined $1,150 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 179 days suspended and credit for one day served, for possessing criminal tools and for disorderly conduct amended from engaging in prostitution. He was ordered to complete 25 hours community service and a prostitution prevention course. Kutney responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $200, then traveled to Unity Township on Aug. 16 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.
Jeffrey Ray Kopf, 64, Pittsburgh, Pa., was fined $750 and given credit for one day served in jail for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. He completed the required education course and forfeited $140 to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. Kopf responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for money, then traveled to Unity Township on Aug. 14 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.
Lee Michael Doran, 45, Monaca, Pa., was fined $1,150 and given credit for one day served in jail for disorderly conduct amended from engaging in prostitution and for possessing criminal tools. He completed the required educational course and forfeited $140 to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. Doran was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $140, then arriving in East Palestine on April 2 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.
Hunter Willis, 23, McCann Road, Salem, was fined $150 and received credit for one day served in jail for public indecency for standing beside his car at a gas pump urinating with his genitals out at Circle K on South Lincoln Avenue, Salem on May 3. Three men who saw this yelled at him, saying it's not okay to be doing that, when he replied "it's okay to pee at the pump."
A pretrial was set Dec. 9 for William Daniel Faulkner, 38, Gromley Road, Salem, charged with criminal damaging for allegedly breaking a locked door to gain entry into a bedroom and ransacking it on Oct. 19 in Salem Township.
A sentencing hearing was set Nov. 2 for Cynthia Denise Morris, 68, Midway Lane, East Liverpool, who pleaded guilty to criminal damaging for an incident at the Goodwill store in Calcutta when clothing was damaged on Sept. 28, with the two items totaling $9.98.
A pretrial was set Dec. 14 for Anthony Robert Kelly, 38, North Lima, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly trying to walk away with a dirt bike that was being impounded during a traffic stop involving his relative on Oct. 19 in East Palestine.
Justin D.L. Trevor, 39, Etruria Street, East Liverpool, was fined $400 and sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 59 days suspended and credit for one day served, for disorderly conduct amended from assault and for criminal mischief. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim. Trevor attacked a man at an East Liverpool property on April 24 and attempted to pull a canopy out of the ground, causing it to be damaged.
Michelle N. Rader, 45, Chester, W.Va., was fined $865 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 86 days suspended and credit for one day served in jail and three days served in a driver intervention program, for physical control amended from operating a vehicle impaired, left of center and resisting arrest. She also must serve 20 days of electronically monitored house arrest and 20 hours community service. Charges of obstructing official business and open container were dismissed. Her license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. She was accused of refusing to exit her vehicle during a traffic stop and bracing herself while being removed on Aug. 25 in Lisbon.
Karen Sue Culp, 41, Hookstown, Pa., was fined $150 for drug paraphernalia for possessing a digital scale, smoking device for smoking crack cocaine and a white rock substance on May 20, 2025 when police were sent to Beaver Creek State Park off of Sprucevale Road for a woman slumped over the steering wheel of a car.
A litter charge against J & B Rental Properties LLC, Sprucevale Road, East Liverpool, was dismissed, with the property on Vine Street, East Liverpool now in compliance.
Tracy Renee Douds, 49, Midland Road, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for drug paraphernalia for possessing two smoking devices commonly used for crack cocaine and a paper fold with an unknown substance inside.