Common Pleas

New Cases

Allison Folsom, Newgarden Road, Salem, and Brandon Folsom, South Lundy Avenue, Salem; dissolution sought.

Cherie Howell, Alliance, vs. Ventra Salem, LLC, Pennsylvania Avenue, Salem, and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Columbus; appeal of claim denial for alleged additional injury.

Planet Home Lending, LLC, Meriden, Conn. vs. Isaiah Ayers, Chester Avenue, Wellsville, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Docket Entries

Carrington Mortgage Services LLC vs. Michael Doyle, et al.; case dismissed.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Several defendants were served in the past few days with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury, including:

— Betty Jo Plumm, 44, Huston Road, East Liverpool, fourth-degree felony grand theft and fifth-degree felony breaking and entering for allegedly breaking into a man’s property and stealing two barge propellers valued at $30,000 each on Nov. 14, 2023.

— Brian Wagner, 47, Flushing, fifth-degree felonies of theft and passing bad checks for allegedly writing a bad check for $2,282 to Acme Steak & Seafood on March 28.

— Mary Marcelli, 44, Canton, fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine for allegedly possessing cocaine on Dec. 22, 2023.

— JC Marcum, 52, Louise Avenue, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of drugs for allegedly possessing methamphetamine and buprenorphine on May 20, 2023.

— Edward Pittman, 41, Granite Street, Salem, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Aug. 8, 2023.

— Lekeith Brooks, 39, East Eighth Street, East Liverpool, third-degree felony possession of cocaine for allegedly possessing cocaine on Oct. 25, 2022 in an amount equal or greater than 10 grams, but less than 20 grams.

— Kara Della Penna, 41, Bellaire, fifth-degree felonies of possession of fentanyl-related compound and two counts aggravated possession of drugs for allegedly possessing fentanyl, oxycodone and hydrocodone on Feb. 6, 2023.

Court News

LISBON — A Lisbon woman sentenced to 120 days in the Columbiana County jail as part of her probation for endangering a child and attempting to tamper with evidence filed an appeal this week.

Kristen Moore, 51, East High Street, filed the notice with the Seventh District Court of Appeals to challenge the sentence she received in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court on Sept. 30.

Moore had been placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve 120 days in the county jail for fourth-degree felony attempted tampering with evidence, a lesser-included offense for the original third-degree felony charge, and misdemeanor endangering children. A second charge of tampering with evidence was dismissed. All the charges stemmed from activity from Aug. 16, 2022 to Nov. 15, 2022, with the endangering children charge involving a child who was 10 years old when the risk to the child’s health began. She received credit for two days served in jail.

Also seeking an appeal with the Seventh District Court of Appeals recently was Nicholas Knapik, 40, whose last known address was Hubbard. Knapik was indicted by the Columbiana County Grand Jury in 2022f for third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, fifth-degree felony possession of criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution for allegedly making arrangements to meet an agent posing as an adult female and 15-year-old female for sexual activity in exchange for money on Aug. 27, 2022 in East Palestine. The indictment didn’t appear to be served. Knapik has been in prison since Nov. 21, 2022 on multiple drug charges from Wayne County and is set to be released soon, according to online records of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. According to the court record filed with the appeal, Knapik filed a motion to dismiss the felony warrant for the Columbiana County charges, claiming a violation of his right to a speedy trial. That motion to dismiss was denied by Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton and that’s what’s being appealed, the ruling against his motion.