Common Pleas

NEW CASES

Brennelle Lynn O’Donnell, Windham, vs. Todd P. O’Donnell, Grafton Road, Leetonia; divorce sought.

American Express National Bank, Independence, vs. Samantha Simmons, Park Way, East Liverpool; collection sought of alleged $2,677 debt.

DOCKET ENTRIES

Danielle M. Carlisle and James G. Carlisle; dissolution granted.

PNC Bank vs. Maureen A. Butler; $4,583 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC vs. Nolan J. Martin, et al.; judgment vacated, case dismissed.

American Express National Bank vs. Sandy House; $10,497 judgment granted to plaintiff.

William Kuhn vs. Gina Hart; request for preliminary injunction denied, case dismissed.

Court News

LISBON — A jury trial has been reset for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 5 for an Illinois man charged for allegedly possessing images of child pornography after being caught in a sex-for-hire sting in 2024.

Vincent John Bianconi, 36, last known address Chicago Heights, Ill., appeared recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court before Judge Scott Washam for a status hearing, while accompanied by his attorney, Lawrence Stacey II.

The state was represented by county Assistant Prosecutors Jennifer Bonish and Christopher Weeda.

The trial date of July 13 was continued with the new date set. A further status hearing was set for 2 p.m. July 16.

Charges against Bianconi include three counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, a fourth-degree felony, and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools.

Bianconi was accused of allegedly responding to an undercover ad placed by an agent on a known prostitution website and requesting a woman meet him in his semi truck for sex acts in exchange for $30, arriving at the meeting location in East Palestine on July 4, 2024 in his semi truck wearing only a robe, according to an affidavit. In his possession was $50 and the cell phone used to make the arrangements, which was seized.

An agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force recovered images from the phone of minor children engaged in sexual acts.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Richard Braham, 27, West Park Avenue, Columbiana, was found competent again and entered a guilty plea to one count of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, a fourth-degree felony, and four counts of illegal use of minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Aug. 27. All the charges stemmed from his alleged possession of images of children in a state of nudity on Nov. 10, 2023.

— Carly A. Brunie, 35, Akron, was sentenced to 40 months in prison (three years four months) after pleading guilty to third-degree felony attempted possession of drugs amended from aggravated possession of drugs and fifth-degree felonies of possession of heroin, possession of a fentanyl-related compound and two counts of possession of drugs. A charge of trafficking was dismissed. She was accused of possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk but less than 50 times bulk and for possessing heroin, fentanyl, xylazine and tramadol, all on Oct. 20, 2024. She received a mandatory $5,000 fine. The prison term was ordered served at the same time as a sentence from December in Stark County.

— Kevin M. Hupp, 30, Shadyside Road, East Liverpool,was placed under community control for three years for fourth-degree felony strangulation and misdemeanor domestic violence for grabbing a woman by the throat and choking her on Aug. 10, 2025 in East Liverpool.

Grand Jury

LISBON — A Damascus man accused of injuring a woman in a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Route 62 in March while impaired was served Wednesday with a secret indictment for charges including aggravated vehicular assault.

Brent A. Hull, 46, U.S. Route 62, was charged with the third-degree felony count, along with two counts of misdemeanor operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them-OVI.

On March 4, while operating a 2009 Chrysler 300, Hull was accused of causing physical harm to Courtney Greeson while committing an OVI. According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol report, both vehicles were westbound on U.S. 62 in Butler Township when the Hull vehicle struck the rear of the Greeson vehicle, causing both vehicles to travel off of the left side of the road. The Greeson vehicle struck a tree and overturned due to being struck from behind by Hull again. Hull’s vehicle then continued south and struck a house.

Greeson, 31, Alliance, suffered suspected serious injuries and was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown by Damascus EMS. Hull suffered suspected minor injuries and was also transported by Damascus to St. Elizabeth.

Also served with secret indictments were:

— Matthew S. Rudder, 36, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, third-degree felony illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility and fifth-degree felony possession of drugs for allegedly possessing buprenorphine and trying to take drugs onto a detention facility property on Aug. 6, 2024.

— Michael T.A. Morris, 40, Cornell Street, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine for allegedly possessing cocaine on Feb. 3, 2026.

— Joshua W. Francis, 45, Park Avenue, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Dec. 21, 2025.

— Wayne M. Woolley, 34, Penn Avenue Extension, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Oct. 27, 2025.

— Robert Justin Douglas, 47, Sophia Street, East Liverpool, third-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, with specifications for forfeiture of money from a drug case, for allegedly trafficking and possessing methamphetamine and $303 on Sept. 25, 2025.

— Shawn P. Harpold, 46, Spring Grove Avenue, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine for allegedly possessing cocaine on Nov. 20, 2025.

— Paul Joy, 56, East Fifth Street, Salem, fourth-degree felony possession of cocaine for allegedly possessing 5 to 10 grams of cocaine on July 7, 2025.

— Marshall W. Finch, 63, Thompson Avenue, East Liverpool, fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine, aggravated possession of drugs, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, possession of drugs and possession of heroin, with specifications for forfeiture of money from a drug case for allegedly possessing cocaine, $37, methamphetamine, fentanyl, xylazine and heroin on March 6, 2025.

— Crystal Hamrick, 41, Duke Road, Rogers, fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine for allegedly possessing cocaine on May 21, 2025.

— Seraphim Laws, 22, Brenda Lane, Columbiana, second-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs and fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, with specifications for forfeiture of money from a drug case, for allegedly trafficking and possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk but less than 50 times bulk, $175 and amphetamine on Jan. 19, 2025.

— Herbert Lockhart III, 38, Annesley Road, East Liverpool, three counts of fifth-degree felony nonsupport of dependents for allegedly failing to pay support from April 21, 2024 to April 19, 2026.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set Aug. 25 for Vincent A. Ruiz Tibbs, 23, Cleveland, charged with disorderly conduct, for allegedly being extremely intoxicated, not knowing where he was and then leaving the police station after police took him there to wait for a ride on June 20 in Salem.

A pretrial was set Sept. 1 for Mason A. Patchin, 23, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a burnt straw with residue during a traffic stop in Salem on June 15.

A charge of criminal trespass against Fredrick J. Webb, 48, Van Buren Avenue, Salem, was dismissed after the alleged victim failed to appear. Webb had been accused of trespassing at a Salem business on Oct. 22, 2025.

Ronald M. Wolf, 53, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for unlicensed sale of tobacco for buying cigars through an unlicensed distributor on June 15 at Nikkis Market LLC in East Liverpool.

Mariah R. Beaver, 35, Dewey Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for intoxication for being intoxicated in public in East Liverpool on July 1, 2025.

A pretrial was set Sept. 1 for Jason W. Anderson, 39, East Pershing Street, Salem, charged with OVI, OVI refusal and assured clear distance.

Gage M. Gillespie, 18, Vine Street, East Liverpool, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail with 175 days suspended and credit for five days served for theft and criminal damaging for stealing a motorcycle on April 19 in East Liverpool and removing lights, cutting wires and defacing the vehicle emblems. He was ordered to pay restitution of $600 to the victim.

Ray N. Carnes, 66, Memorial Road, Kensington, was fined $200 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for theft, with 20 hours community service ordered, for stealing another customer’s wallet after they dropped it on the floor at a store in Hanoverton on Dec. 26, 2024.

A pretrial was set July 1 for Lonnie David Cunningham, 33, North Street, East Liverpool, charged with criminal trespass and obstructing official business for allegedly trespassing on private property in East Liverpool on June 21 then running from police when approached and hiding in some bushes.

A pretrial was set Aug. 26 for Brook B. Hunter, 34, Berlin Center, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing on a Salem property on June 7 after previously being trespassed from the property in February.

Nickole E. Sears, 41, Township Line Road, Wellsville, was fined $200 for drug paraphernalia for having a crack pipe in her pants during a traffic stop on Oct. 26, 2025 in St. Clair Township.

A pretrial was set Sept. 9 for Haley R. Michaels, 26, South 12th Street, Beloit, charged with two counts of falsification for allegedly making false statements on April 21 to incriminate someone else and to mislead a public official.

A pretrial was set June 29 for Derica Charnel Barnett, 37, West Eighth Street, East Liverpool, charged with complicity for allegedly driving the vehicle that picked up a shoplifter after he fled from the Calcutta Walmart on Feb. 18.