Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary/pretrial hearing was set March 30 for Matthew Scott Howard, 39, Annesley Road, East Liverpool, charged with fifth-degree felony improper handling firearms in a motor vehicle and misdemeanors of operating a vehicle impaired first offense and OVI refusal with prior within 20 years. Howard allegedly had a loaded 9mm handgun in a holster near the handlebars of his motorcycle during a traffic stop while allegedly impaired on March 9 in Elkrun Township.

A pretrial was set May 27 for Christina M. Falconer, 49, Bower Road, Minerva, charged with domestic violence, two counts of aggravated menacing, and two counts menacing for allegedly leaving two voicemails on a man’s cell phone, threatening to assault him and kill him and also sending numerous messages via social media that included threats of harm to the man on Feb. 19 in West Township. On Feb. 15 in West Township, she allegedly threatened to shoot the man and his current girlfriend. The affidavit noted that when her vehicle was stopped by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a 9mm handgun was found.

A pretrial was set May 27 for John M. Corradi, 37, Grimms Bridge Road, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly being aggressive toward a woman and destroying a tire on her vehicle. on March 9 in St. Clair Township.

A pretrial was set May 27 for Ashley Marie Juarez, 36, Grimms Bridge Road, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly being aggressive toward a man and destroying a television in the living room on March 9 in St. Clair Township. She was fined $50 for expired tag.

Robert John Algaier, 72, Pittsburgh, Pa., was fined $750 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 88 days suspended and credit for two days served, for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and a prostition prevention course which was already completed. Algaier was accused of responding to an undercover familial ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with the women in exchange for $280, traveling to East Palestine on Jan. 1 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

A pretrial was set May 20 for David M. Butcher, 53, Woodland Avenue, Salem, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing inside an apartment on East Third Street in Salem on March 9.

A pretrial was set May 27 for Valerie J. Rosati, 66, Franklin Avenue, Salem, charged with dog running at large and animals running at large for her dogs jumping the fence and allegedly killing someone’s pet rabbit on Feb. 12 in Salem and for her two dogs being loose on Feb. 21 in Salem. The Salem humane officer took custody of the dogs and turned them over to Rosati’s son.

Terry A. Michael, 55, Denver Street, East Liverpool, was fined $1,500 for three counts of return and payment of tax, with all of the fines suspended on the condition that Michael files returns on time and follows the payment plan. He was accused of failing to make an East Liverpool income tax return in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Troy Allen Fox, 48, Chagrin Falls, was fined $400 for prohibited activities amended from refuse disposal prohibition, with another charge of refuse disposal prohibition dismissed. He had been accused of the hunting complaints on Nov. 11, 2024 in Elkrun Township and Dec. 2, 2024 in Elkrun Township.

Karl Siganporia, 38, Bakersfield, Calif., was fined $665 and sentenced to three days in jail, with credit for three days served, for operating a vehicle impaired and speeding. Another OVI charge and marked lanes were both dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for one year.

A pretrial was set May 20 for Cory Witherow, 39, Rose Drive, Wellsville, charged with OVI third offense and a tail lights violation.

A pretrial was set May 20 for Richard Scott Dowling, 20, Wells Hollow Road, Wellsville, charged with marked lanes and driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set May 20 for Robert Donald Pearce, 28, Midland, Pa., charged with use of unauthorized plate.

A pretrial was set May 20 for Tonia L. Gearin, 45, West Washington Street, Lisbon, charged with driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set May 20 for Nicki R. Callahan, 74, Canton, charged with driving under suspension.

Patrick William Kelley, 46, Lincoln Street, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for school bus stop sign violation.

Adelaida Gabriel Perez, 32, New Castle, Pa., was fined $150 for speeding, with a charge of expired license suspended.

Huzifa A.G.B. Elawad, 48, Iowa City, Iowa, was fined $225 for loose load second offense amended from traffic control devices.

Derek James Wilson, 19, Warren, was fined $150 for lighted lights amended from speeding.

James B. Nenichka Jr., 46, Miller Road, Leetonia, was fined $40 for speeding.

Robert Frank Cox, 56, West Woodland Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $200 for use of unauthorized plate and no license.

Donna Jean May, 39, West Seventh Street, Salem, was fined $50 for expired license.

Dylan Michael Baker, 25, Chippewa Trail, Negley, was fined $150 for lighted lights amended from driving under suspension.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Onemain Financial Group, LLC, Columbus, vs. Michael W. Gasaway, Black Road, Lisbon; collection sought of alleged $15,458 debt.

Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati, vs. Rikksha Suggs Wise, Steubenville, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

WesBanco Bank Inc., Wheeling, W.Va., vs. the estate of Rick Dattilio; collection sought of alleged $40,774 debt and repossession of 2019 Cadillac XTS.

Huntington National Bank, Columbus, vs. Jennifer McCune, Bay St. Louis, Miss., et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought.

BMO Bank, N.A., Chicago, Ill. vs. Pidgeon Trucking LLC, state Route 344, Leetonia, and Sharon Pidgeon, Western Reserve Road, Salem; repossession sought of 2024 International, 2025 Fruehauf Dry Van and 2016 Kenworth for alleged breach of contract or collection sought of $211,653 alleged debt.

Tina M. Keller, Givens Road, Wellsville, vs. John Ash, Chester, W.Va.; damages sought for alleged claims of negligence/personal injury from 2024 traffic crash.

Edward A. Huffman, Lisbon Road, Leetonia, vs. Renee Lynn Bradley-Huffman, South Cross Street, Columbiana; divorce sought.

Ann L. Smith, Pembrooke Drive, Salem, and Gail John Smith, Depot Road, Lisbon; dissolution sought.

Docket Entries

American Express National Bank vs. Lillian M. Fath; $5,150 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Douglas Davidson Trucking LLC vs. J.W. Yeager Contractors, LLC; case removed to U.S. District Court.

County Treasurer vs. C. Richard Spahr, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Pennsylvania Avenue, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer vs. E’Deana McBane, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for state Route 45, Lisbon property.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Three separate drug defendants were served Monday with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury, including:

— Shayne B. Kosek, 38, Cricket Lane, East Liverpool, third-degree felonies of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, fourth-degree felonies of trafficking in heroin and possession of heroin and fifth-degree felonies of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine for allegedly trafficking and possessing fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 5 grams but less than 10 grams, heroin in an amount equal or greater than 1 gram but less than 5 grams and an amount of cocaine less than 5 grams, all on July 16, 2025.

— Ricky A. Wilson, 57, Maple Street, Lisbon, possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing cocaine on Jan. 11.

— Anastasia E. Blinn, 42, Maple Street, Lisbon, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing amphetamine on Nov. 7, 2024.

Court News

LISBON — A Wellsville man accused of stealing a Kubota tractor was sentenced to nine months in prison.

Joseph M. Savin Jr., 40, Clark Avenue, appeared for sentencing recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for a lesser-included offense of third-degree felony burglary and fourth-degree felony grand theft. He was originally charged with second-degree felony burglary. He received credit for one day served in jail.

Savin stole a Kubota tractor from a garage he broke into in Wellsville between Dec. 28, 2024 through Jan. 4, 2025, with the Kubota reported missing on Jan. 3. He was pulled over with the Kubota in East Palestine and admitted to taking it and leaving it on a friend’s property in Toronto, court documents said.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Jonathon L. Lagone, 24, North Ellsworth Avenue, Salem, was sentenced to nine months in prison and received credit for 58 days already served in jail for third-degree felony domestic violence. He was accused of physically harming a woman on Sept. 20, 2025, with two or more prior convictions for domestic violence on his record.

— Megan G. Wilson, 36, Toledo, was placed under community control for three years and received credit for one day served in jail for third-degree felony tampering with evidence and fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine and possession of a fentanyl-related compound. Wilson was accused of possessing cocaine and fentanyl and tampering with evidence on Aug. 26, 2022.

— Ezekiel A. Harper, 23, West Perry Street, Salem, was sentenced to nine months in prison after pleading guilty to fifth-degree felonies of misuse of credit cards and receiving stolen property and misdemeanor criminal damaging. He received credit for 68 days already served in jail. Harper misused a woman’s stolen debit card on July 15, 2025.

— Amanda N. Ferrebee, 38, Allison Street, East Liverpool, was placed under a treatment plan for three years and ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is complete after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Ferrebee possessed methamphetamine on March 8, 2025.