Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary/pretrial hearing was set April 3 for Jacob Simmons, 24, Rose Drive, Lisbon, charged with fourth-degree felonies of domestic violence and strangulation and misdemeanor criminal trespass for allegedly being on a property in Lisbon on March 25 after being told multiple times he was not allowed on the property. A woman on the property reported that the day before, he allegedly slapped, punched and choked her.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set April 10 for Drew Browne, 25, Whippoorwill Avenue, Hanoverton, charged with fourth-degree felony theft and misdemeanors of assault, criminal damaging, disorderly conduct and two counts of criminal trespass. On Dec. 20, 2024, he was accused of attempting to strike another person at the Foundry in Salem and continuing to fight with the victim and then began fighting with a separate patron. Browne was accused of stealing a woman’s Dodge Caravan on Dec. 12, 2024 in Salem and trespassing in the mailroom building at Guilford Lake Estates, Hanover Township on Oct. 24, 2024. He was also accused of being at the rear door of Ezio’s in Salem, pulling on it and damaging it on Dec. 19, 2024. He was allegedly voluntarily intoxicated at the time.

A preliminary hearing was set April 3 for Sarah Ann Graham, 22, East Main Street, East Palestine, charged with fifth-degree felony obstructing justice for allegedly attempting to conceal a man wanted on a felony protection order violation when police were trying to serve him on March 26 in East Palestine. She answered the door and claimed the man was not there multiple times, then officers found him in an upstairs bedroom.

A third-degree felony charge of failure to verify residence address was dismissed without prejudice against Robert Paul Westlake, 51, Anderson Boulevard, East Liverpool, with charges taxed to the state. Westlake was accused of failing to verify his address on Feb. 13 for his sex offender registration as required.

Blake Surmaceviz, 22, New Springfield, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 165 days suspended, leaving a balance of 15 days to serve in jail for assault amended from sexual imposition for an incident on May 10, 2023 in Salem. He was ordered to complete 80 hours community service and to have no contact with the juvenile victim.

A pretrial was set April 7 for Adam Douglass, 39, Cain Street, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly slamming a woman by her throat, throwing her against the walls and through a doorway and hitting her with some sort of metal plate in the back of her head after an argument on March 25 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set April 7 for Karlie Arnold, 18, Foraker Street, Rogers, charged with domestic violence and resisting arrest for allegedly striking another woman in the face and biting her arm on March 27 in Negley and resisting arrest when deputies were taking her into custody.

A sentencing hearing was set April 3 for Marcus Lee White, 42, Mulberry Street, East Liverpool, who pleaded guilty to domestic violence and resisting arrest. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim as a requirement of bond. White was accused of punching a man in the mouth on March 25 in East Liverpool and attempting to break away from officers placing him in custody.

A status conference hearing was set May 22 and a court trial was set June 12 for Kacandra Seddon, 44, North 16th Street, Sebring, charged with assault for allegedly sliding an item she wasn’t permitted to return across the counter at the clerk at Family Dollar on Aug. 16, 2024, striking her in the stomach where she had recently had surgery.

Michael Kuhlen, 41, last known address state Route 558, Leetonia, was fined $200 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. He was accused of assaulting a woman at a property in Elkrun Township on Oct. 21, 2024.

An assault charge was dismissed without prejudice against Kristen Nicholson, 31, Canfield, who was accused of allegedly grabbing a child by her hair and throwing her to the floor at the Dollar General in Wellsville on Oct. 31, 2024. Costs were taxed to the state.

Keith Cameron, 30, Mogadore, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 178 days suspended and credit for two days served, for domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. Cameron grabbed a woman by the arms, lifted her off of the ground and pushed her into a wall on July 29, 2024 in Perry Township.

Mario Roberto Santos Moran, 32, Youngstown, was fined $200 and given a suspended 60-day jail term for possessing criminal tools. A charge of engaging in prostitution was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and a prostitution prevention course. Moran responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $80, arriving in East Palestine on Nov. 7, 2024 with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Ray Crooms, 57, Clarks Mill Road, Hammondsville, was fined $300 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 172 days suspended and credit for eight days served, for failure to comply, left of center and reckless operation. A charge of renewal of license was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service. Crooms failed to stop for a police officer initiating a traffic stop on March 19.

A pretrial was set April 3 for Ronnie Jackson, 67, Rose Drive, Lisbon, charged with obstructing official business and two counts aggravated menacing for allegedly threatening to slit another man’s throat on March 17 in Lisbon, failing to identify himself when requested by deputies and correction officers.

Payton Dolly Wilson, 26, Dresden Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $300 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for three days served, leaving a balance of 27 days to serve for theft and drug paraphernalia. Wilson was accused of failing to scan and pay for 11 items totaling $164 and allegedly possessing two burnt glass pipes and a bag containing multiple packages containing an unknown white powder substance on Jan. 20 in St. Clair Township.

A pretrial was set May 19 for Nicholas Dalton Desimone, 18, Alpha Street, East Liverpool, charged with disorderly conduct-presence of emergency facility person for allegedly causing a disturbance in the emergency room where he had been admitted earlier in the night at East Liverpool City Hospital on March 27.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Eric Elliott, 45, West Clark Street, East Palestine, charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling, cursing and screaming outside his residence on March 25 and refusing to stop when told by police to cease his behavior.

Michaelpaul Gill, 37, U.S. Route 30, Minerva, was fined $200 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for possession of drugs. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Gill possessed suboxone during a traffic stop on April 10, 2024 in Knox Township.

Jada Pack, 38, Erie Street, East Liverpool, was fined $1,875 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 135 days suspended and credit for 14 days served, leaving a balance of 31 days still to serve for physical control, OVI second offense, slow speed and two counts of theft. She was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and to stay out of Calcutta Walmart and East Liverpool Dollar General. Her driver’s license was suspended for two years. Pack was accused of allegedly failing to scan and pay for 49 items valued at $700 from the Calcutta Walmart on Dec. 18, 2024 and allegedly stealing items from Dollar General in East Liverpool on Dec. 21, 2024.

Anna Mayle, 32, Ohio Avenue, Salem, was fined $925 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for two counts of operating a vehicle impaired that were merged and a headlights violation. Her driver’s license was suspended for a year and she was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Joseph Jolly, 38, Dunn Road, East Liverpool, was fined $925 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI and loud exhaust. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was ordered to complete 30 hours community service.

Tyler Jamison, 36, Midland, Pa., was fined $250 for driving under suspension and a turn signal violation.

Shawn Joseph Adams, 54, John Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $250 for driving under suspension.

Ronald Cochran, 62, St. Jacob-Logtown Road, Lisbon, was fined $200 for driving under suspension and a tail lights violation.

Nashua Jenkins, 27, Kent, was fined $200 for driving under suspension and a turn signal violation.

Jennifer Hunt, 31, Westville Lake Road, Beloit, was fined $50 for stopped school bus.

Jaiden Perry, 24, Austintown, was fined $150 for stopped school bus.

Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Joseph D. Davis, Hillcrest Road, Wellsville, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for McKee Avenue, East Liverpool properties.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Kory Wayne Herron, Cider Mill Road, Salem, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Cider Mill Road, Salem property.

Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC, Coral Gables, Fla. vs. Ryan Lannon, state Route 164, Lisbon, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

Billy Joe Williams and Betsy Williams, both Old Lincoln Highway, East Liverpool, vs. Chris Edgell, Hammondsville Road, Wellsville, et al.; foreclosure sought for lien on Hammondsville Road, Wellsville property over alleged unpaid judgment.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Elizabeth Sweely, et al.; foreclosure ordered in favor of Farmers National Bank for mortgage.

County Treasurer vs. John Collier, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. Craig Osberg, et al.; Dale Property Services Penn LP and TotalEnergies E&P USA dismissed as defendants.

County Treasurer vs. Cody Allen Jackson, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. Black Pearl Investments LLC, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed.

Court News

LISBON — A Streetsboro man accused of possessing multiple images of child pornography pleaded guilty to 51 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, one a second-degree felony and the rest all fourth-degree felonies.

Barry Stephens, 64, whose last known local address was Depot Road, Salem, will be sentenced on June 12 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

He could face a possible maximum sentenced of eight to 12 years for the second-degree felony count and 18 months each for the 50 fourth-degree felonies.

According to a police affidavit filed in Columbiana County Municipal Court, a search warrant was executed Feb. 29, 2024 at Stephens’ residence and a preview was conducted on the computer he used, allegedly revealing in excess of 2,000 images and videos depicting children, some appearing to be toddlers, engaged in sexual acts and in a state of nudity. Also, he had allegedly reproduced or published an image of a juvenile to Microsoft Bing which would be classified as obscene material on Nov. 28, 2022.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Clayton R. Murray, 24, East Martin Street, East Palestine, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony attempted aggravated assault amended from felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and pleaded guilty to misdemeanors of using weapons while intoxicated and three counts of aggravated menacing. Sentencing was set for May 23. A police affidavit alleged that Murray pulled a gun out of his waistband, pointed inside a vehicle with four occupants and told them to leave after an incident in East Palestine on July 13, 2024.

— Daniel J. Hosek, 51, Munroe Falls, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools, with a specification for forfeiture of property, with sentencing set for June 5. Charges of importuning and compelling prostitution will be dismissed. Hosek was accused of requesting sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $160 from a female he believed to be 15 years old, but who was an officer posing as a minor via a telecommunications device, then drove to Salem on Aug. 1, 2024 for the meeting, with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

— Husam Jamal Abdelaziz, 26, Youngstown, pleaded guilty to a lesser included offense of attempted promoting prostitution, which was originally compelling prostitution, and possessing criminal tools, both fifth-degree felonies, with sentencing set for June 6. A charge of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor will be dismissed. Abdelaziz was accused of responding to an undercover ad of an adult mother trafficking her 15-year-old daughter on a known prostitution website, arranging for sexual activity with the teen in exchange for $140 and arriving in East Palestine on April 15, 2023 for the meeting.

— Nicolas Stockford, 31, Lones Road, Lisbon, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, a fourth-degree felony, with credit for 125 days served in jail. Stockford trespassed in a property on Aug. 30, 2022.

— Derek Ball, 35, West New York Avenue, Sebring, was ordered to jail for 55 days, with credit for 35 days served, leaving a balance of 20 days still to serve for violating his probation for tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. He was accused of resetting his cell phone on Jan. 29, 2022 before giving it to police after being told about an ongoing investigation.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Shawn Joseph Adams, 54, John Avenue, East Liverpool, was served Wednesday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on March 29, 2024.