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LISBON -- A woman accused of having a knife on the grounds of the Utica Shale Academy school in Salineville earlier this year admitted her guilt Thursday.
Britania B. Brown, 45, Toronto, pleaded guilty to illegal conveyance or possession of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance in a school safety zone, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly having the knife out in the school parking lot on Jan. 14.
Sentencing is now set for 11:15 a.m. Oct. 29. The case was originally scheduled for a jury trial Aug. 31. The status hearing Thursday became a plea hearing after attorneys for both sides indicated the case had been resolved.
Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam advised the charge carries a possible sentence of six months to a year in prison. County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Weeda deferred any recommendation for sentencing to the court, asking for a pre-sentence investigation.
Weeda said Brown has a lot to gain at this time, noting she'll be released soon from the Eastern Ohio Correction Center where she's been housed for a probation violation from April this year for a 2024 case.
Her defense attorney, T. Robert Bricker, said he reviewed everything with his client, including the rights she was giving up with a plea.
During questioning by Washam, Brown indicated she would be taking care of her ill mother once she's released from the EOCC, which is located in Lisbon, and would reside with her. She's expected to finish the course at the EOCC earlier than the usual six months.
After she entered the guilty plea, Washam congratulated her on the progress she's made at the EOCC and talked with her about how triggers can come up during stressful times. When she comes back for sentencing in October, he said he'll want to know how she's doing after being back out in the community.
A police affidavit filed in county Municipal Court said Brown admitted to having a knife open while in the presence of a school teacher while at the school and had the knife in her possession. Her lawyer said the incident was in the parking lot, which Weeda confirmed.
The 2024 case dealt with open burning or open dumping of solid waste from April 2, 2023 to Sept. 5, 2024.