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LISBON -- Two men already charged in connection to a drive-by shooting were back in Columbiana County Municipal Court on Thursday regarding charges related to wildlife spotlighting.
On the same night Joseph A. Reed, 23, East Main Street, East Palestine, and Nicholas J. Voigt, 21, Carmel Achor Road, Rogers, are alleged to have been in a vehicle involved in a drive-by shooting at a home on Depot Street, Rogers, they were also reportedly stopped on the suspicion they were spotlighting deer.
At about 12:18 a.m. Oct. 16, state wildlife officer Jesse Janosik attempted to pull over a silver Buick four door he saw driving northbound on Dyke Road and continuing north on Tomahawk Drive. Light from the vehicle was pointing into the field east of Tomahawk Drive. The vehicle fled and Janosik pursued them, according to reports.
The drive-by shooting also occurred that night with several rounds fired into the front window of a Rogers home where Matthew T. Casto was known to have slept on a day bed or couch. Casto was struck in the head area, but treated and released the same day.
Chief Deputy Kip Dowling of the sheriff's office said it is believed the shooting at the house happened before the men encountered Janosik, who was in the area because there had been some prior complaints about someone spotlighting deer on previous nights.
With police searching for a vehicle matching the description given by Janosik, the same vehicle was later stopped by an East Palestine police officer. During a traffic stop, Reed was found to have a gun in his waistband and a second handgun was found by police in the front passenger door compartment.
Reed was the driver and Voigt was the front passenger. Destiny Lynn Kay, who has not been charged in either incident, was in the backseat.
According to court documents, county sheriff's Detective Steven Walker spoke to Voigt, who admitted to spotlighting from the vehicle on Tomahawk drive.
An additional third handgun was found in the glove box and two rifles were in the trunk of the vehicle.
Voigt pleaded no contest in municipal court on Thursday to a jacklighting prohibited charge and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. His hunting license was forfeited and suspended for a year.
A Nov. 20 pretrial was set for Reed, who pleaded not guilty to charges of interfering with a wildlife officer and a miscellaneous wildlife violation.
Both men have been bound over to the grand jury on felony charges related to the drive-by shooting. Voigt was bound over on the charge of discharging a firearm at or into a habitation. Reed was bound over on a charge of complicity to discharging a firearm at or into a habitation.