Municipal

LISBON — A pretrial hearing was set June 17 recently in Columbiana County Municipal Court for an East Liverpool man who allegedly sent a series of threatening text messages to an employee at the car dealership on state Route 14 in Columbiana. Daniel Smith, 35, Alder Street, is charged with telecommunications harassment after allegedly threatening to come to the dealership and show up at the employee’s house to cause physical harm on July 25 .

Randell Smith, 45, Akron, was fined $750 and sentenced to 90 days in jail suspended, two years probation and 20 hours of community service for soliciting and possessing criminal tools. Smith allegedly posted an ad on a known-prostitution website and agreed to perform sexual acts for $250 after communicating with an undercover officer and later traveling to Salem on Jan. 3 to do so.

Tammy Virden, 62, Sunset Drive, Lisbon, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail with 178 suspended and two years of probation for theft. Virden failed to pay for 10 items totaling $42 at Discount Drug Mart in Lisbon on Nov. 25.

A preliminary hearing was set for April 28 for Nicholas Weyand, 35, Dewey Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with fifth-degree felony vandalism. Weyand allegedly damaged a county-owned electronic tablet worth $633 while being housed as an inmate at the county jail on April 2.

A pretrial hearing was set April 21 for Bob Pierce, 34, North Shadylane Drive, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence. Pierce allegedly kicked a door in at a Lisbon Street residence in East Liverpool on April 7.

Robert Smith, 48, Hammond School Road, Wellsville, was fined $100 and sentenced to one day in jail for criminal trespass. Smith entered a property in Wellsville, ignoring several “No Trespassing” signs. He was captured on video surveillance doing so on both June 19 and June 21.

A pretrial hearing was set June 30 for Victoria Rios, 31, East Perry Street, Salem, charged with driving under suspension and speed.

Tara Lynn Montgomery, 24, North Market Street, Lisbon was fined $250 for driving under suspension and expired plates.

Debra Pendergast, 44, Dobson Road, Salineville, was fined $50 for speeding.

Bryan Veglia, 33, Duke Vodery Road, East Liverpool, was fined $1,725 and sentenced to 180 days in jail with 176 suspended and credit for one day served for two counts of criminal damaging, two counts of assault and OVI and taillights. He was also ordered to 40 hours of community service, to pay restitution of $2,709, placed on two years probation and received a one-year license suspension. Veglia crashed his car into another vehicle and then intentionally backed through a fence on Anderson Avenue in Wellsville on June 28, nearly striking occupants of a yard.

Stephen Moon, 32, Midland, was fined $535 and sentenced to 180 days in jail with 178 suspended and credit for two days served for assault and criminal damaging, amended from criminal trespass. He was also placed on two years probation and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service. Moon refused to leave a residence in New Waterford on Sept. 9, 2023. Moon then assaulted a female who attempted to get him to leave.

Olivia Chafins, 21, Avery Circle, East Liverpool, was fined $1,075 and sentenced to a one-year license suspension and 180 days in jail with 175 suspended for physical control and resisting arrest. Chafins refused to exit a vehicle during a traffic stop on Sept. 21 in East Liverpool and later resisted by pulling her arms away to prevent being handcuffed.

Noah Levans, 20, West Pershing Street, Salem, was fined $305 and sentenced to 180 days in jail with175 suspended for driving under suspension and turn signals. He was also placed on two years of probation.

Jodi Johnson, 27, Cherry Valley Drive, Leetonia, was fined $350 for two counts of driving under suspension.

A pretrial hearing was set June 26 for Ryan Jenkins, 39, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license.

A pretrial hearing was set June 17 for Neevah Raya, 19, Academy Street, Salineville, charged with operating a motor vehicle without a license, reckless operation, reasonable control, speed and no seat belt.

Karen Reed, 71, Cannon Mills Road, Wellsville, was fined $150 for failing to stop for a stopped school bus.

A pretrial hearing was set June 24 for Remington Andrews, 24, Shelton Road, Salem, charged with OVI and reasonable control.

A charge of failure to control was dismissed against Sara Baker, 31, Fairmont Street East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set June 30 for Robert Simms, 33, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension and unauthorized use of plate.

A charge of driving under suspension was dismissed against Gregory Dray, 66, Longs Church Road, East Liverpool.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Clara Beaver, Yeager Road, Negley, vs. Harry Beaver II, Riffle Road, New Waterford; divorce sought.

Docket Entries

Halley Pancake and Cory Pancake; dissolution granted.

Carl Zests Jr. vs. Heidi Zests; divorce granted.

Ashley Spence and Thomas Spence; dissolution granted.

Jessica Oates and Eric Oates; dissolution granted.

County Treasurer vs. Amanda Timmann; payment plan of taxes completed, foreclosure case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Neil Brown, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Alana Thompson; payment plan of taxes completed, foreclosure case dismissed.

Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool woman was sentenced to an indefinite term of three to four and half years in prison for first-degree felony possession of cocaine.

Jacqueline Riley, 39, McKinnon Avenue, appeared recently for sentencing in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for the charge which included a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case.

She also received a mandatory fine of $10,000 and was ordered to forfeit $1,860 that had been seized. She was accused of possessing cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 27 grams, but less than 100 grams, along with possessing the $1,860 on May 30, 2023. Charges of trafficking in cocaine, aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs will be dismissed related to trafficking cocaine and trafficking and possessing amphetamine, also on May 30, 2023.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Tiyler Tataseo, 25, West Sixth Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 17 months in prison, with credit for 284 days served, after being found in violation of his probation for fourth-degree felony domestic violence and using weapons while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. He was accused of attempting or causing harm to a woman and possessing a 9mm handgun on Dec. 9, 2022 in East Liverpool.

— Nashua Jenkins, 27, South Lincoln Avenue, Salem, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence for assaulting a woman on Jan. 20 in Salem, choking her during the altercation. A charge of fourth-degree felony strangulation was dismissed. Jenkins was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail, with 103 days suspended and credit for 77 days already served for the first-degree misdemeanor and 30 days with credit for 30 days served for the fourth-degree misdemeanor, leaving no jail time to serve.

— Christopher Slasor, 53, Moore Street, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years for aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony lesser included offense, with credit for 29 days served. He was originally charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for getting into a verbal disagreement with a woman over a relationship and trying to run her over with the truck he was driving on May 5, 2024 in East Liverpool.

— Thomas Burkett, 64, North Sumner Street, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to make restitution of $11,589 for fourth-degree felony grand theft. Burkett obtained $11,589 from Norfolk Southern’s community assistance center after the train derailment by providing fraudulent receipts from Feb. 1, 2023 through May 25, 2023 for food and fuel, alleging he had relocated to a residence in Midland, Pa.

— Christopher McCauley, 46, Lincoln Avenue, Wellsville, was sentenced to 182 days in the county jail, with credit for 137 days already served, leaving a balance of 45 days still to serve in jail after pleading guilty to illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, a third-degree felony, and fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine and possession of fentanyl-related compound. He was also placed under community control for three years. McCauley was accused of attempting to bring drugs onto the grounds of a detention facility and possessing cocaine and fentanyl on Feb. 11, 2022.

— Christopher Osborne, 44, Riley Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony failure to provide notice of change of address and fourth-degree felony domestic violence, with sentencing set for June 6. A charge of misdemeanor domestic violence will be dismissed. Osborne registered a Wellsville address with the county sheriff’s office in October 2014 as required since he’s a Tier II sex offender, but then listed an address in East Liverpool when he was booked into the county jail on Jan. 19. He was required to notify the sheriff’s office 20 days prior to changing his address, an affidavit said. The domestic violence stemmed from him busting through a door and charging at a woman, then shoving her into a wall, causing her to drop to her knees on Jan. 19 in East Liverpool.

— John Poole, 55, Warren, pleaded guilty to complicity in the commission of an offense, a third-degree felony, with sentencing set for June 9. A charge of third-degree felony identity fraud will be dismissed. From Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2022, Poole aided a woman in committing supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits fraud by holding himself out to be her landlord to make false statements to the Columbiana County Department of Job and Family Services.

— Merabi Khurtsilava, 34, Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty to a lesser included offense of fifth-degree felony promoting prostitution and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution, with sentencing set for June 12. He was originally charged with third-degree felony compelling prostitution. Charges of fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools will be dismissed. He was accused of responding to an undercover ad of an adult female and 15-year-old juvenile and arranging for sexual conduct with both in exchange for $240, traveling to East Palestine on Jan. 21, 2024 for the meeting.

— Jeremy Mahalek, 43, Franklin Square Road, Leetonia, was found competent to stand trial and entered a guilty plea to a lesser included offense of third-degree felony burglary, originally a second-degree felony. Sentencing was set for June 6. A charge of misdemeanor criminal trespass will be dismissed. He was accused of trespassing in an occupied residence on Sept. 3, 2021.

— Jason Koehn, 22, Mountz Road, Minerva, pleaded guilty to two counts of trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, a fourth-degree felony, with sentencing set for June 6. Koehn was accused of trespassing into two separate Minerva area properties while residents were home, including with children present, on Feb. 4.

— Katelynn Vangiesen, 22, West Washington Street, Lisbon, pleaded guilty to assault, a fourth-degree felony, with sentencing set for June 16. A charge of endangering children will be dismissed. From Nov. 12, 2024 to Nov. 16, 2024, she was accused of causing physical harm to a child victim.

— Alex Conkle, 30, Macklin Road, New Waterford, was placed under community control for three years for fourth-degree felony lesser-included offenses of attempted failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and improper handling a firearm in a motor vehicle. He was originally indicted for third-degree felonies of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and having weapons under disability. A fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs charge with a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug case will be dismissed. He was accused of possessing methamphetamine and $344 and fleeing from law enforcement during an incident March 25, 2023. He also possessed a weapon, which he was prohibited from possessing due to a previous conviction.

— Rachael Butler, 61, Chagrin Falls, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for a third-degree felony charge of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. She had been evaluated by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio for competency to stand trial and the ability to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, with the court finding she was competent to stand trial only. There was no objection from the state or the defense regarding the ruling of not guilty by reason of insanity. A further hearing was set for June 13. Butler allegedly fled from Salem police officers attempting a traffic stop on Aug. 28, 2024.

— Justin Davis, 40, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Oct. 26, 2022.