Common Pleas

New Cases

Hancock County Savings Bank, FSB, Chester, W.Va. vs. Jodee Kessler, 15th Street, Wellsville, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for 15th Street, Wellsville property.

Docket Entries

The Farmers National Bank of Canfield vs. Kristy Hoprich, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for West Washington Street, Lisbon property.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Charles Noel, 62, Glenn Street, East Liverpool, was served recently with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing cocaine on Aug. 20, 2023.

Court News

LISBON — A Steubenville man who wanted the evidence in the case against him for alleged cocaine trafficking and possession thrown out had his motion to suppress denied.

James Swearingen, 44, Steubenville, is facing charges of trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine, both first-degree felonies, with specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case. A status hearing is set for Jan. 23 and a jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 3.

According to the judgment entry signed by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam, Swearingen’s defense attorney claimed there was no reasonable suspicion for the traffic stop on June 11, 2022 in St. Clair Township, but Washam disagreed. A K-9 unit was called to the scene and arrived in less than 10 minutes and did not unreasonably prolong the time of the traffic stop, according to the ruling.

Swearingen was accused of preparing to sell and possessing cocaine in an amount equal or greater than 27 grams but less than 100 grams and also possessed $1,691.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Jonathan Collins, 48, Norwalk, pleaded guilty to prosecutor’s information for fourth-degree felony charges of attempted compelling prostitution and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor as part of a plea deal, with sentencing set for Feb. 3. According to affidavits filed by an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force in county Municipal Court, Collins allegedly requested sexual conduct from an agent he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for an agreed upon price of $160, traveling to Salem on Aug. 22 for the meeting.

— Sujit K. Male, 34, McKees Rocks, Pa., pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution, with sentencing set for Feb. 7. Charges of fifth-degree felony possession of criminal tools and third-degree felony compelling prostitution will be dismissed. Male was accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of an adult female and a 15-year-old minor and arranging for sexual conduct with both females for $160, driving to East Palestine on Jan. 24 for the meeting.

— Timothy Adkins, 48, Rose Drive, Lisbon, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with credit for 200 days already served in jail, for fourth-degree felony menacing by stalking and fifth-degree felonies of telecommunications harassment and theft. Charges of fifth-degree felony telecommunications fraud and misdemeanors of misuse of a credit card and theft were dismissed. He was ordered to pay restitution of $15.97. The menacing and harassment charges stemmed from Nov. 14, 2023 to April 12, 2024 when he engaged in a pattern of conduct to cause a woman to believe he would cause her physical harm and also harassed her. The other charges stemmed from Jan. 15, 2024 when he stole the woman’s credit card, misused the credit card and stole $15.97 from the woman while also committing telecommunications fraud.

— Valorie Hammond, 36, North Market Street, East Palestine, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony obstructing official business, a lesser included offense, and fifth-degree felonies of theft and possessing criminal tools, with sentencing set for Feb. 7. She was originally charged with third-degree felony escape. A misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business will be dismissed. Hammond was accused of stealing $2,295 worth of merchandise from Dunham Sports in a duffle bag and trying to flee when police arrived on April 9 in Calcutta.

— Richard Whitman, 53, East Fifth Street, Salem, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for 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. The domestic violence charge was originally a third-degree felony. He had a previous conviction for domestic violence.

— Lorena Cope, 59, state Route 558, Leetonia, was ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Lisbon, with her community control continued until Sept. 6, 2027 after violating the terms of her probation for fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of drugs for possessing methamphetamine and clonazepam on June 17, 2023.

— Randall Morris, 60, Trinity Church Road, Lisbon, pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of both-OVI, a misdemeanor, and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Dec. 19. Other counts of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and OVI will be dismissed. Morris was accused of possessing a loaded handgun in his disabled vehicle when a trooper found him impaired Nov. 25, 2023.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a case against Donovain Casey, 18, Roller Coaster Road, Lisbon, was bound over to the county grand jury for second-degree felony robbery for allegedly approaching a juvenile with a knife and stealing the victim’s cell phone before fleeing the area on foot on Oct. 29 in Salem. The victim, who was riding a bike at the time, said the defendant was wearing a ski mask.

A case against Cody Jones, 35, Mill Street, Salineville, was bound over to the county grand jury for breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly breaking into the Conex building in Salineville on Oct. 30.

A case against Jeffrey Riachy, 53, Rigby Street, East Liverpool, was bound over to the county grand jury for second-degree felony burglary for allegedly entering an occupied structure with the purpose to commit theft on Nov. 22 in East Liverpool.

A case against James Robert Lemmon, 41, Mingo Junction, was bound over to the county grand jury for fourth-degree felony attempted and fifth-degree felony trafficking in drugs. A pretrial was reset Feb. 11 for misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. Lemmon was accused of allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual acts with a female in exchange for drugs, traveling to East Palestine on Nov. 25 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. He also allegedly possessed 14 individually packaged baggies of marijuana at the scene and on Nov. 28 he allegedly contacted a woman to factory reset his cell phone and walked her through the steps to do it, which was considered tampering with evidence.

A pretrial was set Feb. 10 for Heather Hoffee, 30, Washington Avenue, Salem, charged with domestic violence for allegedly assaulting a child on Dec. 2 in Salem, resulting in injury.

Jordan Speece, 28, Broadway Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 172 days suspended and credit for one day served, leaving a balance of seven days still to serve in jail for assault amended from endangering children. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and have no contact with the victim. Speece was accused of striking a child and causing injury on Aug. 29 in Wellsville.

A pretrial was set Feb. 10 for Dazhane Deneika Lashay Thomas, 27, Cleveland, charged with soliciting and possessing marijuana for allegedly posting an ad on a known prostitution website offering sex for hire and arranging for sexual activity with an undercover agent in exchange for money, then traveling to East Palestine on Nov. 30 for the meeting. She also allegedly possessed a burnt marijuana roach in her vehicle.

A pretrial was set Feb. 6 for Robinette Alisha Bell, 19, Youngstown, charged with soliciting for allegedly posting an ad on a known prostitution website offering sex for hire and arranging for sexual activity with an undercover agent in exchange for money, then traveling to East Palestine on Nov. 20 for the meeting.

A pretrial was set Feb. 6 for Jocelyn Birch, 28, Annesley Road, East Liverpool, charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly entering and sitting in the back of a police cruiser and refusing to speak or give any information while highly intoxicated on Nov. 30 in East Palestine. An affidavit said officers were walking to their cruiser after a previous call when they noticed Birch in the back seat,

Gregg Bailey, 44, Commerce Street, Wellsville, was fined $350 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for two days served, along with a suspended 180-day term, for disorderly conduct amended from assault and theft. Another assault charge was dismissed. Bailey was ordered to complete 80 hours community service and have no contact with two victims and the Calcutta Walmart. Bailey stole 48 items totaling $246 at the Calcutta Walmart on Oct. 3. On Sept. 25, he grabbed and pulled a woman’s hair and slapped a man’s hands multiple times at a Yellow Creek Township property.

A pretrial was set March 10 for James Barshaw, 58, state Route 172, Kensington, charged with two counts of theft for allegedly filling a freezer bag full of frozen items and leaving without paying at Save A Lot in Lisbon on Feb. 9. On Dec. 10, 2023, he allegedly took a basket of items from Dollar General in Lisbon without paying at the self checkout.

Desieree Levine, 58, state Route 45, Lisbon, was fined $200 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for theft. She was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to stay out of Dollar General in Lisbon. Levine knowingly placed items into bags at the Dollar General self-checkout in Lisbon without scanning them or paying for them on Aug. 15.

Justin Buckel, 32, Dakota Street, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve 90 days in the county jail for violating his probation for charges of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and theft. On May 20, he failed to comply with an officer attempting a traffic stop in East Liverpool. The theft charge stemmed from him stealing a socket and ratchet set from Ace Hardware in St. Clair Township on March 21.