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Common Pleas
NEW CASES
Micah D. Direnzo, North Elm Street, Columbiana, and Zoe I. Direnzo, Wilmington, N.C.; dissolution sought.
Shannon Herstine, Prospect Street, Lisbon, and Michael Herstine, Boardman; dissolution sought.
Kelley D. Moffett, South Main Street, Beloit, and Daniel P. Fenstemaker, Paris; dissolution sought.
Brandon M. Landsberger, Franklin Avenue, Salem, vs. Emily A. Landsberger, Stratton Road, Salem; divorce sought.
Madison Nicholson, West Main Street, Salineville, vs. Ethan Hill, Pine Street Extension, Lisbon; divorce sought.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Roy F. Bush, c/o Rex Halfhill, Highland Drive, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Yeager Drive, East Liverpool property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Bonnie Haines, now known as Peebles, Grandview Avenue, East Palestine, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Failer Road, East Palestine property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Benjamin Evans, Oak Street, East Palestine, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for North Pleasant Drive, East Palestine property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Shine Town LLC, Chester, W.Va., et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Columbia Street, Leetonia property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Donald R. Rowe, East Fourth Street, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for East Fourth Street, East Liverpool property.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, Wilmington, Del., vs. Kelly M. Niswonger, Shining Tree Lane, Salem; collection sought of alleged $17,288 debt.
Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, Buffalo, N.Y., vs. Janey M. Bister, Andrew Avenue, Salem, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.
DOCKET ENTRIES
Melissa Kuttler vs. Matthew Kuttler; divorce granted.
Tiffany Plumley and Benjamin Plumley; dissolution granted.
Data Mortgage Inc. doing business as Essex Mortgage vs. James Cope, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for North Market Street, East Palestine property.
Huntington National Bank vs. Randy Cope, et al.; case stayed.
Grand Jury
LISBON -- Bryce Young, 31, Independence Square, Wellsville, was served Wednesday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for fourth-degree felony trafficking in cocaine and fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine, with specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case, for allegedly preparing for sale less than 5 grams of cocaine, possessing cocaine and possessing $270 on Dec. 22, 2025.
Court News
LISBON -- A Pittsburgh man is scheduled to face sentencing Jan. 7 after a judge denied his motion to withdraw his guilty plea in a sex-for-hire case.
Mberwa Murjani Mberwa, 23, Pittsburgh, Pa., pleaded guilty in June to third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution. He was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of an adult mother trafficking her minor daughter and arranging for sexual activity with both females in exchange for $100, then arriving in East Palestine on Oct. 24, 2025 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.
His defense attorney filed the motion to withdraw plea on Sept. 9, but Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam ruled that a claimed medical issue was unsupported and contrary to the record.
Also in Common Pleas Court:
-- Paskal Nkumba, 27, Germantown, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and fourth-degree felony attempted tampering with evidence, with sentencing set for Dec. 14. Misdemeanor charges of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools will be dismissed. Nkumba was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual activity with a woman for $140, then traveling to East Palestine on Oct. 3, 2025 for the meeting. While being removed from his box truck, he deleted the message thread between himself and an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force from his cell phone that was used to make the arrangements. He also possessed suspected LSD mushrooms, also known as psilocyn.
-- Jada C. Pack, 40, Erie Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for third-degree felonies of possession of cocaine, which was a lesser-included offense from a first-degree felony cocaine possession charge, and tampering with evidence. Charges of trafficking in cocaine, a first-degree felony, third-degree felonies of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound and possession of a fentanyl-related compound and misdemeanors of illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of drugs will be dismissed. She was also fined $5,000 and received credit for 70 days already served in jail. Pack was originally indicted for preparing to sell and possessing cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 27 grams, but less than 100 grams and possessing xylazine on July 6, 2025 and preparing to sell and possessing fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 50 unit doses but less than 100 unit doses on Nov. 19, 2024. The charges from the plea involve the incident on July 6, 2025.
-- Michael Heverly, 41, Depot Road, Salem, was recently found competent, with sentencing in his case now set for Nov. 5. Heverly entered a guilty plea in March to three counts of aggravated possession of drugs and two counts of possession of drugs, all fifth-degree felonies, and having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony, along with a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case. He had been scheduled for sentencing in May, but then his attorney filed a motion for a competency evaluation, which was granted. The judge in the case found him competent based on the evaluation, resulting in the new sentencing date. Dismissed will be charges of possession of a fentanyl-related compound and defacing identification marks of a firearm. According to the indictment, on Jan. 31, 2024, he possessed fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 10 grams, but less than 20 grams, methamphetamine, hydrocodone, alprazolam and $91. He also possessed a gun when he was prohibited from having one due to a previous conviction and identification marks on the gun were defaced. On May 26, 2024, he possessed methamphetamine, buprenorphine and $342.
Municipal
LISBON -- In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set Dec. 15 for Blake Alex Legg, 33, Massillon, charged with OVI, OVI breath and reasonable control.
A pretrial was set Dec. 9 for Ashleigh C. Kennedy, 42, Beaver Creek Road, Salem, charged with OVI, OVI breath and driving under suspension.
Andrew Joseph Wright, 35, Brown Street, Lisbon, was fined $600 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI. A speeding charge was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and his license was suspended for one year.
Jacob A. Bezon, 29, Pearce Circle, Salem, was fined $600 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI, with 20 hours community service ordered. Charges of OVI refusal and failure to control were dismissed. His license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted.
Bradley James Lewis, 43, West Perry Street, Salem, was fined $625 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended, leaving three days to serve in jail for OVI, driving under suspension and driving while texting. He must complete 40 hours community service and his license was suspended for one year.
A pretrial and preliminary hearing were set Oct. 26 for Ted Ingledue, 36, Teagarden Road, Lisbon, charged with second-degree felony felonious assault and a misdemeanor charge of theft for allegedly approaching a woman from behind in his vehicle, accelerating and driving up a hill into a yard she was standing in an attempt to strike her with the vehicle in Salem, and taking her scooter without permission on Sunday.
A pretrial and preliminary hearing were set Oct. 26 for Selita Traylor, 43, East 85th Street, Cleveland, charged with fourth-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and misdemeanor charges of possessing drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension, failure to display valid sticker, and tinted glass for allegedly leading officers in a motor vehicle pursuit before fleeing from officers on foot and possessing a glass pipe containing white powder residue and suspected narcotics, and a digital scale following a traffic stop in East Palestine on Oct. 17.
A pretrial was set Oct. 26 for Dana Chafins, 41, Grant Street, Lisbon, charged with domestic violence for allegedly striking a man several times with a closed fist in Lisbon on Oct. 16.
A pretrial was set Dec. 9 for Joshua Scyoc, 18, West Main Street, Leetonia, charged with domestic violence for allegedly striking a man in the face, ripping his shirt, and breaking his glasses in Leetonia on Sunday.
A pretrial was ser Nov. 2 for Homer Williams, 66, First Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly threatening to punch a woman in the face in East Liverpool on Oct. 16.
A pretrial was set Nov. 30 for Courtney Rudolph, 46, Liberty Street, Salem, charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct for allegedly entering property without permission while intoxicated on prescription medication to enter and search a vehicle which did not belong to her for a backpack in Salem on Aug. 18.
A pretrial was set Nov. 4 for James Bollinger, 36, Park Avenue, East Palestine, charged with two counts of domestic violence, and criminal damaging. The charge of criminal damaging and one count of domestic violence stem from an incident where Bollinger was allegedly throwing and kicking items around an East Palestine residence after becoming upset and struck a woman with thrown items leaving a visible mark on their arm where they were hit with a toolbox on Aug. 18. The second count of domestic violence stems from an incident on March 2 when he allegedly spat at a woman in his vehicle before they began to wrestle with one another inside the vehicle, Bollinger is also alleged to have struck the woman in the left side of the face.