Common Pleas

DOCKET ENTRIES

Rocket Mortgage, LLC, S/B/M Nationstar Mortgage LLC vs. James Williams, et al.; foreclosure ordered for Fairview Court property in Salem.

Seven Seventeen Credit Union, Inc. vs. Bailey Rhodes; $21,130.21 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Village of East Palestine vs. Frank Yoker III, et al.; $20,920.77 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Village of Salineville vs. Tila Miller; $8,112.83 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC vs. Lawrence Crum, et al.; foreclosure ordered for Prospect Street property in Salem.

2324 Dayton LLC vs. D&E Legacy Group LLC, et al.; foreclosure ordered for Clark Avenue property in Wellsville.

Court News

LISBON – In Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, David Miller, 53, Pioneer Trail, Hiram, was placed on a treatment plan under the direction of the Columbiana County Adult Probation Department for three years after pleading guilty to fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine and aggravated possession of drugs for possessing cocaine and methamphetamine in Aug. 15.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

Craig Lower, 45, Ford Street, Louisville, was sentenced to three years community control including a term of 30 days incarceration in the Columbiana County Jail after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of fourth-degree felony aggravated assault for causing physical harm to Robert McAbee with a knife on July 14, 2024. Lower was originally indicted for felonious assault, a second-degree felony.

Deandre Jenkins, 31, 14th Street, Canton, was sentenced to seven months in prison after pleading guilty to fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine for possessing cocaine on Jan. 14, 2023.

Larry Elkins, 45, Second Street, Carrollton, was sentenced to three years community control after pleading guilty to a lesser offense of third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs for methamphetamine in a volume equivalent to or exceeding five times the bulk amount but less than fifty times the bulk amount on April 8, 2024. Elkins was originally indicted for second-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs.

Christian Frierson, 29, Kapel Drive, Euclid, was sentenced to nine months in prison after pleading guilty to fourth-degree felony grand theft, and fifth-degree felony theft for taking a Bobcat with attachment valued at $36,625 and an Appalachian Trailer valued at $7,115.03 on April 17, 2025.

Josiah Dawson, 25, Halleck Street, Youngstown, was sentenced to two years of community control after pleading guilty to fifth degree felony possession of drugs and a misdemeanor charge of illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for possessing methamphetamine and paraphernalia on April 18, 2025.

Tiffiany Franklin, 35, East Fourth Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to trespassing in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present and criminal damaging with sentencing set for Aug. 24. She entered another person’s residence and created a substantial risk of physical harm to their property on December 16, 2025.

Grand Jury

LISBON–A Lisbon man last week was served with a secret indictment for alleged sex offenses.

Jeffrey Moore, 39, state Route 164, Lisbon, was served with a secret indictment for two counts of gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony, for allegedly having sexual contact with a minor where he “compelled such person to submit by force or threat of force” on Nov. 23, 2023.

Also served with secret indictments were:

— Joseph Gatelaro, 26, Brenda Lane, Columbiana, second-degree felony charges of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, and fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs. All three charges include a specification for forfeiture of money in a drug case. The trafficking charge stems from an incident on Jan. 19, 2025, when he allegedly prepared to ship transport or distribute methamphetamine in a volume equivalent to or exceeding five times the bulk amount but less than fifty times the bulk amount, while the possession charges stem from allegedly having the methamphetamine as well as amphetamines on the same date. Gatelaro also allegedly possessed $175 derived through the commission of the offenses.

— Lisa Keener, 52, state Route 45, Lisbon, second-degree felony possession of drugs and fourth-degree felony possession of cocaine for allegedly possessing methamphetamine in a volume equivalent to or exceeding five times the bulk amount but less than fifty times the bulk amount, and cocaine in an amount equivalent to or exceeding five grams but less that 10 grams on Feb. 17.

Municipal

LISBON — A Salineville man was bound over to the grand jury facing potential felony burglary charges in Columbiana County Municipal Court Tuesday.

Austin Lemasters, 28, Malone Road, Salineville, was bound over to the grand jury charged with third-degree felony attempted burglary for allegedly forcing his way into a Yellow Creek Township residence through multiple access points breaking a window lock and damaging a window frame on May 10.

Tanika Smith, 46, West Fourth Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 80 days in jail with credit for 10 days served and fined $550 for resisting arrest, menacing, disorderly conduct, open container and assault amended from assault on a peace officer, a fourth-degree felony, for screaming at and being verbally abusive to another woman, pulling away from and attempting to push police officers, and threatening and kicking a Lisbon police officer several times in Lisbon on June 6.

Taira Higgins, 33, Martha Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 180 days in jail with 179 days suspended and credit for one day served and fined $50 for endangering children for failing to properly secure her residence, allowing a juvenile to escape and run into traffic in St. Clair Township on April 9.