Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a woman accused of having a knife out in the open while on the grounds of the Utica Shale Academy will face a preliminary/pretrial hearing Jan. 21.

Britania B. Brown, 44, with addresses listed in Toronto and on Haiti Road, Salineville, was charged with fifth-degree felony illegal conveyance or possession of a deadly weapon in a school safety zone and misdemeanor criminal trespass.

Salineville police officers were called to the school on East Main Street, Salineville on Wednesday for a report of a woman with a knife and found Brown a few blocks away at BK Beverage. A police affidavit said she admitted to having a knife open while in the presence of a school teacher while at the school and had the knife in her possession.

Her bond was set at $20,000 cash or surety and she was ordered to have no weapons and no contact with Utica Shale Academy.

For the criminal trespass charge, she was accused of trespassing at the Salineville Laundry Mat on June 4, 2025 in Salineville.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Jan. 21 for Taylor Allen Holzer, 31, Neely Manor, East Palestine, charged with fourth-degree felony and misdemeanors of domestic violence and resisting arrest for allegedly punching a police officer in the face while resisting arrest on Jan. 14 in East Palestine. Holzer was being placed in custody for allegedly punching a person in the face during an argument.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Jan. 21 for Noah Wilson Ferrier, 24, East State Street, Salem, charged with fifth-degree felony improper handling firearms in a motor vehicle and misdemeanors of operating a vehicle impaired second offense, OVI breath second offense, driving under suspension and driving while texting for allegedly having a firearm in his vehicle during a traffic stop on Jan. 15 while allegedly impaired, with empty containers of liquor and empty beer cans found in the vehicle.

A pretrial was set Jan. 28 for Rachael Ann Thomas, 35, North Shadylane Drive, East Palestine, charged with domestic violence for allegedly striking a man in the forehead in the process of knocking items off of his desk on Jan. 15 in East Palestine.

A pretrial was set April 7 for Laura Lynn Masters, 31, Mineral Ridge, charged with domestic violence for allegedly shoving a man, putting hands around his throat and scratching him during an argument on Jan. 13 in East Palestine.

A pretrial was set Feb. 4 for Shawn Robert Shirk, 44, Genesee, Pa., charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $140, arriving in East Palestine on Jan. 15 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

A pretrial was set Jan. 28 for Brandon A. Hoschar, 30, Austintown, charged with possession of drug abuse instrument and drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a hypodermic needle in the glove box and a used hypodermic needle and glass smoking pipe with burnt residue in the passenger door during a traffic stop in Fairfield Township on July 5, 2025 when he was a passenger.

A pretrial was set Jan. 28 for Steven C. Stokes, 53, North Market Street, Lisbon, charged with possession of drug abuse instrument and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a syringe and two small baggies of crystal-like substance during a traffic stop Jan. 14 in Salem.

A pretrial was set April 1 for Micah Butcher, 20, New Springfield, charged with failure to stop after an accident and assured clear distance.

A pretrial was set April 1 for Wilfredo Leon Ramirez, 23, Canton, charged with operating a vehicle impaired first offense, no valid license and marked lanes.

A pretrial was set Feb. 24 for Eric C. Hoppel, 69, Hoppel Drive, East Liverpool, charged with unsafe vehicle and driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set Jan. 21 for Michael Nelson Woods, 62, Smithfield Street, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set April 7 for Kyle Smith, 40, Clinton, Pa., charged with driving under suspension and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set March 25 for Amanda M. Kiger, 52, Westfield Street, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension.

Isiah Coulter, 24, Newton Falls, was fined $200 for driving under suspension and illegal operation of a dealer’s motor vehicle.

Linda Lee Weyand, 58, Chaffin Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for expired license.

Connor J. Lolli, 20, Winnetka, Ill., was fined $50 for speeding.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Village Capital & Investment, LLC, Henderson, Nev., vs. Stephanie J. Ghrist, Marcus Street, East Liverpool, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Jennings Avenue, East Liverpool property.

Capital One, N.A., Independence, vs. Mykayla Davis, North James Street, East Palestine; collection sought of alleged $2,591 debt.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Nathaniel Freeman; payment plan entered, case stayed.

Terri S. Lang vs. Brett A. Lang Sr.; divorce granted.

Onemain Financial Group, LLC, vs. Kelly S. Keller; judgment vacated, case dismissed.

Freedom Mortgage Corporation vs. Payton M. Morrison, et al.; case stayed.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Two secret indictments were served Thursday to defendants recently indicted by the Columbiana County Grand Jury.

Salvatore J. Vecchio, 61, Ravenna, was charged with possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing fentanyl on Sept. 1, 2025.

Cody L. Jones, 36, Mill Street, Salineville, was charged with nonsupport of dependents, a fourth-degree felony, for allegedly failing to pay child support from Oct. 29, 2023 to Oct. 26, 2025.

Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man facing multiple counts related to his alleged possession of multiple images of child pornography was recently found not currently competent to stand trial.

Aiden C. Booth, 21, Center Street, had been evaluated by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio and during a recent hearing, Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam based his ruling on the evaluation, which found Booth was not competent.

Booth was indicted last year for 41 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, a fourth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing images of child pornography on May 6, 2025.

A status hearing has been set for Jan. 30, with a determination pending on how to further proceed.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Timothy Moore Jr., 28, Ashtabula, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to third-degree felony failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, with credit for 163 days served in jail. A tampering with evidence charge was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for 10 years. Moore was accused of fleeing from an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper attempting a traffic stop on Aug. 2 in Elkrun Township, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph before ending on a deadend on Pennsylvania Avenue Extension in East Liverpool.

— Richard Vecchio, 63, state Route 164, Lisbon, was ordered to prison for 14 months, with credit for 229 days served in jail, for violating the terms of his probation for fourth-degree felony assault and misdemeanors of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He was accused of standing in the middle of North Market Street in Lisbon while intoxicated, approaching vehicles as they slowed down and hitting their windows on Feb. 5, 2025. He also resisted arrest and pulled away from officers attempting to take him into custody, kicking an officer in the shin twice while being placed in the cruiser.

— Mason Jones, 34, North Street, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve nine months in prison, with credit for 111 days served, for violating the terms of his probation in two separate drug cases for possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fourth-degree felony, and possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. His participation in drug court was dishonorably terminated. Jones was accused of possessing fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 1 gram but less than 5 grams on July 10, 2024 and possessing buprenorphine on March 3, 2023.

— Frank Bursick, 63, East Liverpool Road, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to a lesser-included offense of aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, with a specification for forfeiture of money from a drug cases. The drug charge was originally a second-degree felony. Charges to be dismissed included second-degree felony aggravated trafficking in drugs and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and dealing in drug paraphernalia. Sentencing will be March 30. He had been indicted for allegedly trafficking and possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk but less than 50 times bulk, possessing $183, arranging for a sex of hire meeting and possessing drug paraphernalia and a cell phone used to make the arrangements for the sex for hire meeting on Dec. 6, 2024.

— Kara D. Carter, 43, Steubenville, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to third-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanor aggravated menacing. She was ordered to serve 72 days in the county jail, but received credit for 72 days already served, leaving no days to serve. Charges of strangulation and unlawful restraint were dismissed. She was accused of pulling another woman’s hair and choking her during a domestic incident that became physical on Oct. 1, 2024 in East Liverpool, along with holding the woman captive in a bedroom from Sept. 26, 2024 to Oct. 1, 2024 in East Liverpool.

— Michael C. Henderson, 61, West Main Street, East Palestine, was placed under community control for three years during sentencing for telecommunications harassment, a fifth-degree felony, for sending threatening text messages to a man on Jan. 27, 2024 in Perry Township.

— Bradley J. Reeder, 43, West Lincoln Way, Lisbon, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with credit for one day served in jail. Reeder possessed methamphetamine on April 1, 2024 and May 21, 2024.

— Kasen Smith, 30, Winona Road, Salem, was approved for placement in the Eastern Ohio Correction Center and for drug court participation after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on May 2, 2025.

— Michael R. Craig, 46, state Route 170, East Palestine, was ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until it’s successfully completed for violating the terms of drug court for possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. He was permitted to continue in drug court, but with the extra requirement of the EOCC. Craig possessed tramadol on July 5, 2022.

— Sarah R. Smith, 37, Park Boulevard, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 200 days in the county jail, with credit for 171 days served, leaving a balance of 29 days still to serve for violating the terms of her probation for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Her community control was dishonorably terminated. Smith possessed methamphetamine on Nov. 25, 2021.

— Britania B. Brown, 44, Haiti Road, Salineville, was placed under community control for two years for open burning or open dumping of solid waste, an unclassified felony, for recklessly disposing of solid waste by open burning or open dumping from April 2, 2023 to Sept. 5, 2024.