Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, Thomas McClellan Redman III, 43, Sprucevale Road, Rogers, was fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 10 days served, leaving 20 days still to serve in jail for domestic violence. A fourth-degree felony strangulation charge was dismissed by the prosecution, with the alleged victim notified.

Redman was accused of striking a woman in the face and then placing his hands around her neck, then pushing her to the ground during an altercation March 30 in East Liverpool. He was also ordered to serve 20 days in jail for violating the terms of his probation for a 2025 driving under suspension charge, to be served at the same time as the other jail term for domestic violence.

Fernell Howard, 36, Akron, was fined $850 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and an education course. Howard responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $80, then arrived in East Palestine on Jan. 22 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. The affidavit said when he was stopped at the meeting location, he allegedly proceeded to delete the texting application from his mobile device.

Richard Louth Bruzda, 45, Butler, Pa., was fined $550 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for attempted engaging in prostitution amended from engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and drug paraphernalia. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and a prostitution prevention course which was already completed. Bruzda responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and offered to bring the woman methamphetamine and pay her money via the Cash Ap for sexual activity, then traveled to East Palestine on Dec. 6, 2025 with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession, a meth pipe and suspected methamphetamine.

A pretrial was set June 9 for April L. Essary, 33, Follansbee, W.Va., charged with theft and obstructing official business for allegedly opening a bag of chips, eating some and then shoving the opened bag of chips down the front of her pants at the Duke & Duchess gas station in Columbiana on April 8, then denied the allegations and claimed she had a colostomy bag. The police then found the bag of chips down the front of her leggings and she admitted to not having a colostomy bag, the affidavit said.

A pretrial was set April 13 for Antoine Lester Moman, 51, St. George Street, East Liverpool, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly ignoring numerous commands from officers and drug task force agents executing a search warrant at an East Liverpool property on April 6.

Travis B. Ferguson, 38, 10th Street Extension, Wellsville, was fined $350 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for theft amended from passing bad checks. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Restitution was complete. Ferguson was accused of issuing a bad check for $1,018 to Quaker City Septic in Leetonia on Sept. 16, 2025.

A status conference hearing was set June 17 and a court trial was a set June 24 for Sarah J. Crooms, 41, Hazel Run Road, Salineville, charged with theft for allegedly transferring $160 from a man’s bank account into her own account on July 12, 2025 in Washington Township.

Kerry Y. Englert, 56, Pembrooke Drive, Salem, was fined $150 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for theft. She was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to stay away from Walmart in Salem. Englert stole $258 worth of merchandise from the Salem Walmart on Dec. 24, 2025 when she was seen putting tools and other items in her purse.

A pretrial was set June 10 for Zackary J. McFarland, 27, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, charged with illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a clear pipe with burnt residue and two clear baggies with a white crystal substance on April 7 during a traffic stop.

A pretrial was set June 3 for William Lee Michaels III, 37, Youngstown, charged with operating a vehicle impaired second offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Donald T. Williams, 38, Brookfield Avenue, Lisbon, charged with OVI first offense and traffic control devices.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Chase Anthony-Michael Valerio, 19, Lexington Avenue, Salem, charged with driving while texting.

Benjamin Lawren Krueger, 41, New Castle, Pa., was fined $565 and sentenced to three days in jail for merged charges of operating a vehicle impaired and OVI breath. A charge of operating an all purpose vehicle was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for one year.

Brandon Scott McCaskell, 36, East Duquesne Street, Columbiana, was fined $35 for an equipment violation/plate light amended from a stop sign violation.

Mory Sanogo, 30, Bedford, was fined $150 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Logan Stewart, 30, McKinnon Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for no license amended from driving under suspension.

Domonique Janelle Lemon, 39, Girard, was fined $150 for driving under suspension, but received no fine for driving while texting, with a distracted driving course completed.

Amy J. Arotin, 46, West South Range Road, Columbiana, was ordered to pay costs only for driving under suspension.

Lexi Galbert, 30, Springfield, was ordered to pay court costs only for an equipment violation amended from failure to control.

Michael Allen Bouffine, 29, East Main Street, East Palestine, was fined $150 for speeding and unauthorized plate.

Alexis Williams, 26, Cincinnati, was fined $190 for driving under suspension and lane violation.

Joseph Allen Kahrig, 36, Newton Falls, was fined $50 for speeding.

Wilson Armando Pacheco Lopez, 26, Salem Unity Road, Salem, was fined $50 for failure to control.

James H. Wilkes, 50, Stagecoach Road, East Liverpool, was fined $25 for driving under suspension.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Stephanie Humphrey, Ridge Street, Leetonia, vs. Charles Peck III, East Martin Street, East Palestine; divorce sought.

Rocket Mortgage LLC, Coppell, Texas, vs. Jordan T. Bess, East Street, East Palestine, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Des Moines, Iowa, vs. Daniel Solmen, as personal representative of Marvin F. Johnson, deceased, Youngstown, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Seven Seventeen Credit Union Inc., Warren, vs. Jack E. Blystone, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem; collection sought of alleged $15,327 debt plus $802 interest.

Velocity Investments, LLC, Wall, N.J., vs. Neal Bean, Annesley Road, East Liverpool; collection sought of alleged $15,142 debt.

Docket Entries

Freedom Mortgage Corporation vs. Lewis B. Andric, et al.; case stayed due to bankruptcy filing.

County Treasurer vs. Joel M. Campbell, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Thomas P. Ashdown, trustee of Thomas P. Ashdown Family Trust, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Mark Karol; payment plan entered, case stayed.

JPMorgan Chase Bank vs. Virginia K. Daniels, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Wellsville property.

Nickole E. Sears vs. John M. Sears; divorce granted.

Huntington National Bank vs. David M. Thompson, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for 15th Street, Wellsville property.

Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man indicted in two separate cases for multiple drug counts entered guilty pleas recently to numerous charges, including a first-degree felony fentanyl possession charge, trafficking charges and obstructing official business.

Marques Marquell Kimmie, 30, East Eighth Street, will face sentencing May 7 in Columbiana County Municipal Court.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree felony possession of a fentanyl-related compound, fourth-degree felonies of trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine, third-degree felony possession of a fentanyl-related compound and fifth-degree felonies of obstructing official business, trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, with specifications for forfeiture of money from a drug case.

Charges being dismissed as part of the plea deal include assault, two counts trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound and drug paraphernalia.

Kimmie was accused of attempting to run back inside an East Liverpool residence while the Columbiana County Drug Task Force was executing a search warrant and slamming the door shut on a police officer’s wrist, using his body weight to hold the door shut on June 27, 2025. Kimmie also possessed several used digital drug scales with white residue and packaging material near the scales, along with preparing for sale and possessing fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than100 unit doses but less than 200 unit doses and possessing $550, buprenorphine and hydrocodone.

The other indictment said that Kimmie possessed $323, trafficked and possessed fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 50 grams but less than 100 grams and trafficked and possessed cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 5 grams but less than 10 grams on July 21, 2025.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Nicholas Todd Evans, 27, Cortland, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for fourth-degree felony attempted compelling prostitution, fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and fifth-degree felony importuning. He was also designated a Tier II sex offender, requiring him to register with the sheriff’s office of the county where he resides. He requested sexual conduct from an undercover agent he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for an agreed upon price of $80 and then drove to Salem on Dec. 15, 2024 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

— Robert Bryant Kerstanski, 45, Youngstown, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony obstructing official business, a lesser-included offense for third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution, with sentencing set for May 29. A charge of possessing criminal tools will be dismissed. Kerstanski was accused of responding to an undercover ad posted on a known prostitution website and arranging for allegedly unprotected sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $170, then driving to East Palestine on Oct. 17, 2025 for the meeting. When he arrived at the location and saw the agent pull in with emergency lights activated, he allegedly drove around him through a yard and fled northbound, but he got blocked in by the agent and a marked police unit.

— Jarrell L. Sloan, 51, 14th Street, Wellsville, was sentenced to at least five to seven and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a first-degree felony, and fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine, with credit for 168 days served in jail. Sloan possessed fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 20 grams but less than 50 grams and also possessed cocaine, both on Aug. 14, 2023.