Common Pleas

New Cases

Rhonda Wilhite, Lisbon Road, Salem, and Aaron Wilhite, Lisbon Road, Salem; dissolution sought.

PNC Bank, Independence, vs. Robert Acon, Olde Mill Lane, East Liverpool; collection sought of $3,522 debt.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Keith Groscrost, McCoy Avenue, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for McCoy Avenue, East Liverpool property.

Docket Entries

Carrington Mortgage Services vs. Michael Dailey, et al.; judgment vacated, case dismissed.

The Orchards, doing business as The Orchards of East Liverpool vs. Samuel Hadorn; $64,784 judgment granted to plaintiff.

JPMorgan Chase Bank vs. Patricia Harris, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for East Liverpool property.

Alannah Buckel and Cory Buckel; dissolution granted.

Anthony Lopshansky vs. Lori Ann Sprouse; divorce granted.

Marriage Licenses

Jerry Blaschak, 59, East Liverpool, dietary manager, and Christie Mellinger, 50, East Liverpool, patient experience manager.

Joseph Bernardi, 45, East Liverpool, maintenance tech, and Kayla Howard, 33, East Liverpool, unemployed.

James King, 39, Salem, laborer, and Elizabeth Chaffin, 45, Salem, laborer.

Gregory Dingey, 40, Wellsville, counselor, and Meredith Deichler, 42, Columbiana, high school teacher.

Corey Myers, 33, Hanoverton, energy oil field, and Brittany Hoops, 31, Hanoverton, select rehabilitation.

Matthew Diddle, 23, East Liverpool, student, and Kameron Griggs, 24, Lisbon, registered nurse.

Evan Kahrs, 21, Minerva, construction, and Megan Miller, 26, Minerva, landscape.

Jack Clapper, 26, Salem, laborer, and Tiffany Marga, 31, Salem, business assistant.

Michael Brewer, 30, East Liverpool, union laborer, and Haylie Garrett, 29, East Liverpool, licensed practical nurse.

Brandon Cain, 43, Salem, mechanical designer, and Sarah Berger, 34, Salem, engineering assistant.

David Locke Jr., 27, East Liverpool, laborer, and Alivia Davis, 27, East Liverpool, insurance agent.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set Oct. 17 for Frank Phillips, 27, Newgarden Avenue, Salem, charged with fourth-degree felonies of domestic violence and theft for allegedly grabbing a woman by the face and arm after taking control of the vehicle she was driving, letting her out and then leaving with the vehicle without permission on Oct. 6 in Salem. 

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Oct. 15 for Shane Eric Heffner, 38, Oakwood Street, East Liverpool, charged with fifth-degree felony strangulation and misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly grabbing a woman by the face and pulling and pushing her around the residence in East Liverpool on Oct. 6, then grabbing her by the throat and choking her.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Oct. 15 for Todd Ritchie, 47, East Third Street, Salem, charged with third-degree felony failure to comply (fleeing/eluding), and misdemeanors of obstructing official business and resisting arrest for allegedly fleeing from a camper into a hay field when deputies arrived on Oct. 4 to take him into custody on an active arrest warrant. He failed to follow several commands to stop and surrendered after being given several K-9 warnings after a lengthy foot pursuit. On July 26 in Salem, Ritchie fled on a motorcycle from police attempting a traffic stop, traveling more than 5 miles on South Union Avenue, Franklin Avenue, state Route 344 and Lisbon Canfield Road before the pursuit was terminated due to him leaving the road and fleeing on a bike patch where people were walking.

A pretrial was set Oct. 21 for Duallen Stanford, 32, state Route 170, Negley, charged with endangering children, drug paraphernalia and two counts of assault for allegedly punching another man in the face and punching a juvenile in the nose during a physical altercation on Oct. 3 in Salem Township. A woman had overdosed at the residence and Stanford allegedly pushed a box beneath the bed, which deputies searched and found used needles and small white rocks of suspected narcotics inside.

A pretrial was set Jan. 13 for Sammy Ray Shaneyfelt, 71, Main Street, Wellsville, charged with assault for allegedly getting into an altercation with a male customer at the Dollar General in East Liverpool on July 2, 2023 after the customer told him to leave the store clerk alone. He had gone into the store and approached the clerk in an aggressive manner and called her a derogatory name. When the male customer escorted him out, Shaneyfelt allegedly kneed him in the groin and went into his pocket and threatened him. They both begin fighting and the customer was hit in the teeth, which caused damage. 

A pretrial was set Oct. 21 for Richard Austin, 34, St. George Street, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly becoming physically aggressive with a woman and assaulting her and forcefully taking her phone from her hands on Oct. 4 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Dec. 19 for Derek Magee, 31, Grove City, Pa., charged with possessing criminal tools and engaging in prostitution for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $100, then driving to East Palestine on Oct. 4 for the meeting.

David Earich, 37, Jefferson Street, Salineville, was fined $350 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 101 days suspended and credit for 79 days served, for cruelty to animals, aggravated menacing and resisting arrest, all stemming from alleged incidents on April 8 on Market Street, Salineville. A charge of aggravated trespassing was dismissed and he was ordered to complete 80 hours community service. He was ordered to have no contact with the victims. Earich was accused of trespassing  onto a woman’s property, kicking her dog in the head with steel toe boots and causing her and her children and her neighbor to believe he would physically harm them. When police made contact with Earich, he was armed with a large knife and had numerous holsters on him. His face was concealed with a black mask and his hands covered with black gloves. He refused to comply with police commands and charged at an officer, even while at gunpoint, with the officer tasing him.

Rebecca Detchon, 62, Waddell Street, Leetonia, was fined $200 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for two counts of obstructing official business for telling police her daughter wasn’t home on two different occasions when told there were warrants for her arrest on Nov. 17, 2022 and June 27, 2023 when the daughter was actually there. During the 2023 incident, the daughter was found hiding behind the furnace in the basement.

Ryan Farmer, 36, Aliquippa, Pa., was fined $1,000 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 103 days suspended and credit for 77 days served, for two counts of domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 80 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. The charges stemmed from an incident on July 28, 2021 when he shoved a woman into a wall while she was holding a child in East Liverpool and from a domestic on April 24, 2022 when he struck the same woman in East Liverpool.

Alvin Pugh, 44, Etruria Street, East Liverpool, was fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for two days served, for two counts of disorderly conduct amended from two counts of domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Pugh was accused of grabbing a woman by the throat and punching out the passenger front window of her vehicle on Aug. 19 in St. Clair Township. On Sept. 26, he threatened the same woman and threw a can of pop at her, missing her, in East Liverpool.

Mason Patchin, 21, Continental Drive, Salem, was fined $150 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Patchin was accused of putting his hands around a woman’s neck during an argument in Salem on Aug. 4.

Kevin Short, 51, Desellum Road, Lisbon, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 120 days suspended and credit for 10 days served, leaving a balance of 50 days still to serve in jail, for aggravated menacing. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. He was accused of threatening a woman on Sept. 27 in Fairfield Township, stating he was going to kill her and her husband.

Anthony Kelly, 36, Wood Street, East Palestine, was fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 29 days suspended and credit for one day served, for disorderly conduct. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. He was accused of purposely waving his private parts at a victim from a previous dispute on July 10 in East Palestine after previously being told to have no contact with him. 

A pretrial was set Jan. 14 for Calvin Duren, 45, Port Huron, Mich., charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing on the grounds of the federal prison in Elkton on Oct. 5, found coming out of a wooded area.

Valorie Hammond, 35, North Market Street, East Palestine, was fined $800 and sentenced to 30 days in jail for two counts possessing drug abuse instruments and two counts drug paraphernalia for possessing used syringes, a plastic cap with a cotton ball inside and a mechanical pencil with residue inside during a traffic stop in St. Clair Township on April 24. On May 4 in East Liverpool, she possessed a burnt glass meth pipe during a traffic stop. On June 6 in East Liverpool, she possessed syringes during a traffic stop. Hammond was also fined $500 and given a suspended 45-day jail term for theft for possessing stolen items from Dollar Tree on June 10 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Dec. 17 for Heather Carpenter, 48, Dillonvale, charged with possession of drugs for allegedly possessing clonazepam in her purse after a traffic crash on June 22, 2022 in Yellow Creek Township.

A pretrial was set Jan. 7 for Christian Arnaut, 19, Hubbard, charged with underage consumption for allegedly being caught with a can of alcohol in his possession in Salem on June 8.

Raymond Wetzel, 65, Canton, was fined $350 for driving under suspension and driver obstruction interference. He was also fined $200 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. During a traffic stop on Oct. 4 in Columbiana, he possessed a methamphetamine pipe, bags with white residue and a dollar bill fold with an unknown substance.

Jonathan Feezle, 40, Carter Road, New Waterford, was fined $960 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for operating a vehicle impaired, speeding and no seat belt. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and he was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. He was also fined $500 for driving under suspension.

A motion hearing was set Dec. 16 for Tawney Dobritz, 49, South Market Street, East Palestine, charged with OVI second offense, driving under suspension, no seat belt, and a headlights violation.

An OVI charge against Martin Moody Jr., 73, Tiger Drive, Wellsville, was dismissed by the prosecutor due to evidentiary issues. Moody was fined $50 for marked lanes.

Tyler Timmann, 24, Elberon Avenue, Salem, was fined $925 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI and a stop sign violation. His driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Tracy Whigham, 45, South Main Street, Beloit, was fined $300 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 days suspended and credit for three day served in a driver intervention program, for reckless operation amended from OVI and speeding. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Stacy Parker, 57, Struthers, was fined $915 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI and marked lanes, with another OVI charge dismissed. She was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and her driver’s license was suspended for one year.

Robert G. Burns, 77, Brookdale Avenue, East Palestine, was fined $920 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for OVI (two charges merged) and marked lanes. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and his driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted.

Rosanna Byler, 34, Dutchtown School Road, Rogers, was fined $925 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 day suspended and credit for three days served for a driver intervention program, for OVI and obstructing a grade crossing. Another OVI charge was dismissed. Byler’s driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. She was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. She was fined $75 for open container.

Jesse Best, 27, Peace Valley Road, Rogers, was fined $145 for driving under suspension and speeding.

Robert Kennedy, 26, Desellem Road, Lisbon, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

Monique Jimperson, 31, South Main Street, Columbiana, was fined $10 for a headlights violation amended from driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set Jan. 13 for Neil Anthonsen, 41, South Main Street, Columbiana, charged with a stopped school bus violation.

Court News

LISBON — A Wellsville woman charged in multiple indictments for more than a dozen drug charges and a charge for her involvement in a drive-by shooting last year was sentenced to a total of more than 12 years six months in prison after receiving consecutive sentences.

Jordyn Price, 26, McKee Road, appeared recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to face her punishment for all the drug charges and  second-degree felony complicity to commission of an offense, along with a three-year firearm specification for the April 13, 2023 incident in Columbiana County when she drove a co-defendant past a victim’s residence while he fired multiple shots into the residence from the vehicle.

The bulk of the sentence stems from that incident, with an indefinite term of four to six years for complicity and an additional mandatory three years for the gun specification. Charges for each indictment were ordered served concurrent to each other, but consecutive to the other indictments, adding terms of 18 months, 24 months and two for 12 months, bringing the total to 12 years six months. State prison officials could also add an additional two years if they deem it necessary for the complicity sentence.

One of the drug indictments he pleaded guilty to in July included third-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and two counts aggravated possession of drugs, fourth-degree felonies of trafficking in heroin, possession of heroin and two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, fifth-degree felonies of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine and two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, along with a specification for forfeiture of money in a drug case for possessing $6,245.

First-degree felonies of trafficking in fentanyl-related compound and possession of fentanyl-related compound were dismissed.

One count stemmed from Price’s alleged possession of methamphetamine in an amount equal or exceeding bulk, but less than five times bulk on Sept. 1, 2023. The other counts stemmed from Feb. 2, 2024 and involved methamphetamine in an amount equal or exceeding bulk, but less than five times bulk, heroin in an amount equal or greater than 1 gram but less than five grams, cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 1 gram but less than five grams, and MDMA, oxycodone and xylazine.

In another 2024 case, Price had entered guilty pleas to third-degree felonies of trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine, trafficking in fentanyl-related compound and possession of fentanyl-related compound and fifth-degree felony trafficking in drugs, with charges of aggravated trafficking in drugs, aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of drugs dismissed. 

The charges all stemmed from an incident April 6, 2024 and involved cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 20 grams but less than 27 grams, an amount of fentanyl equal or greater than five grams but less than 10 grams and xylazine.

Price also pleaded guilty to third-degree felony charges of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, and specifications for forfeiture of money from a drug case. Charges of possession of a fentanyl-related compound, possession of cocaine and two counts aggravated possession of drugs and one count possession of drugs were dismissed.

According to the indictment, Price on Dec. 11, 2023 brought drugs onto the grounds of a detention facility. On Dec. 10 and 11 in 2023, Price prepared for sale and possessed an amount of methamphetamine equal or greater than five times bulk, but less than 50 times bulk, along with possessing $2,150.

Price also pleaded guilty to charges from a case in 2023 for third-degree burglary and misdemeanor theft for remaining at an Avondale, East Liverpool property to commit theft after being told to leave by the homeowner when he left for work May 1, 2023.

Besides the prison terms, Price received mandatory fines totaling $45,000 and her driver’s license was suspended for five years. She was ordered to forfeit $6,245 and $2,150. She received credit for at least 165 days already served in jail.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Russell Lightner, 45, Foundry Hill Road, Salineville, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony lesser included offense, with sentencing set for Dec. 9. He was originally charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony. A misdemeanor assault charge will be dismissed. Lightner was accused of injuring a woman during an incident at the Frola Motel on July 26 on state Route 45 in Center Township where the woman reported being cut by Lightner, who entered her apartment and began to yell at her.

— Richard Whitman, 53, East Fifth Street, Salem, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony domestic violence, a lesser included offense, for striking a woman two times in the face during a domestic on June 5 in Salem. He had a previous conviction for domestic violence. Sentencing was set for Dec. 2.

— William Weyand, 53, Laura Avenue, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 17 months in prison for fifth-degree felonies of breaking and entering, attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle, theft, and forgery, with credit for one day served in jail. Weyand forced trespass into an unoccupied structure to steal a vehicle title and forge the owner’s signature on Dec. 10, 2023 in Elkrun Township, in an attempt to steal the vehicle, a 2002 Chevy Avalanche.

— Brandon Hacker, 31, Jimtown Road, East Palestine, was sentenced to 120 days in the county jail for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on May 13, 2023. He received credit for 12 days already served.

— Eric M. Kibler, 36, Neeld Road, East Palestine, was ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Wintersville until the program is successfully completed after violating the terms of his treatment plan for possession of fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony. He will remain on community control and was placed into drug court. Kibler possessed fentanyl on Feb. 8, 2023.