Grand Jury

LISBON — A Salem man accused of assaulting another inmate at the Columbiana County Jail on April 12 was one of 12 defendants openly indicted by the county grand jury on Wednesday.

Devin Lodge, 23, old state Route 344, was charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for allegedly knowingly causing serious physical harm to the other inmate, who suffered a fractured jaw and required two stitches after the attack.

The grand jury met for two days and also issued 32 secret indictments. Secret indictments do not become public until the defendants are served with the paperwork.

Also openly indicted were:

— Alonna Renee Ligon, 28, also known as Davon Ligon or Javon Smith, Cleveland, charged with third-degree felony engaging in solicitation after a positive HIV test, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly arranging to have sexual activity in exchange for $300 with an undercover agent who responded to an ad allegedly posted by Ligon on a known prostitution website featuring Alonna Ligon formerly known as Davon Ligon offering sexual activity for hire. According to the affidavit by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force agent, an investigation revealed that Ligon allegedly had sexual activity for $130 with a man known to the agent, then Ligon arrived for the meeting with the agent on April 11 in East Palestine with the phone used to make the arrangements and a methamphetamine pipe. The affidavit also said it was learned that Ligon was also HIV positive.

–Melissa Brink, 45, Franklin Avenue, Salem, charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence, second-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, both with specifications for forfeiture of money in a drug case, and misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for possessing items for the storage, measuring and use of dangerous drugs after a search of her room in a hotel on East Pershing Street, Salem on March 4. When police were serving the search warrant, she allegedly attempted to destroy evidence knowing an investigation was ongoing. A broken glass pipe was recovered from the floor, along with two bags of dangerous drugs thrown but missing the toilet, landing on the floor. The indictment alleged she tried to sell and possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk but less than 50 times bulk and also possessed $120.

— Seaton Ruffner, 41, Ohio Avenue, Salem, charged with fourth-degree felonies of strangulation and domestic violence, fifth-degree felony vandalism and misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly choking another man from behind, causing him to not be able to breath for a few moments during a domestic on April 10 in Salem. Ruffner was also accused of allegedly damaging the rear window of a police cruiser by kicking it after his arrest.

— Norman Bender, 51, Aten Avenue, Wellsville, charged with having weapons while under disability and grand theft when the property is a firearm, both third-degree felonies, for allegedly stealing a firearm on April 26 in East Liverpool while prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.

— James Davisson, 29, Laurel Lane, East Liverpool, charged with fourth-degree felony resisting arrest, fifth-degree felony obstructing official business and misdemeanor disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling and threatening people in Salineville and then failing to comply with verbal commands of a deputy, throwing a knife down after being told multiple times to drop it and resisting arrest on April 20.

— Ryan Pritt, 43, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, charged with fifth-degree felony vandalism and misdemeanors of aggravated menacing and criminal damaging or endangering. While incarcerated at the Columbiana County jail on April 6, Pritt allegedly threatened a corrections officer and acted aggressively toward him, damaging a pair of handcuffs and vandalizing the cell in the booking area by using the handcuffs to carve into the wall and door frame.

— Marcus Ford, 31, Canton, charged with harassment with a bodily substance, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly spraying a corrections officer with urine at the Columbiana County jail on April 10. Ford was an inmate at the jail at the time.

— Abby Pierson, 31, Academy Street, Salineville, charged with fourth-degree felony assault, fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine, and misdemeanors of criminal mischief, illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension and two counts operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them-OVI, for allegedly trying to bite several police officers and EMTs during an incident on Nov. 28, 2024 in Columbiana. She also possessed cocaine and tried to damage a Columbiana police cruiser.

— Kristina Williamson, 34, Strawberry Lane, East Liverpool, charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly reversing her vehicle and striking another woman with the door and dragging her before leaving the scene on March 21 in East Liverpool. A police affidavit said the victim had just exited the vehicle and Williamson had argued with her in the vehicle. When police began questioning her after advising her of her rights on Strawberry Lane, she “stated she only hit her a little bit.”

— Jimmy Anderson, 34, Pine Hollow Road, Lisbon, charged with fourth-degree felony menacing by stalking and fifth-degree felonies of two counts violating a protection order for allegedly stalking a Leetonia family on May 11 after being told to stay away from them. He was also charged for allegedly purposely speaking to the victim, who has a protection order against him, after completing a hearing before county Municipal Court Judge Tim McNicol on May 19. He had a past conviction for violation of a protection order in January.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Allison Hupp, state Route 45, East Liverpool, vs. Charles Hupp, Pleasant City; divorce sought.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Tarra Mitchell; payment plan entered, case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. Rachel Ashby, et al.; defendants TotalEnergies E & P USA Inc. and Dale Property Services Penn, LP, DPS Penn GP, LLC and Dale Pennsylvania Royalty, LP dismissed from case.

Cavalry SPV vs. Brooke Logan; $2,634 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Municipal

LISBON — A Ravenna man accused of arranging a sex for hire meeting with an undercover agent got caught in traffic at the Salem Super Cruise when he tried to drive away from the meeting spot Thursday after seeing police coming his way.

Erick Stewart, 34, appeared for arraignment Friday morning in Columbiana County Municipal Court on misdemeanor charges of engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business. A pretrial was set June 12.

An affidavit by the undercover agent said Stewart requested sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $60 from an undercover agent and traveled to Salem on Thursday for the meeting, with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession when he was caught. As he was approached by marked Salem police cruisers with lights and sirens activated, he began to drive away from the meeting spot in the area of Howard Avenue, stopping due to backed up traffic.

According to the affidavit, Stewart is a convicted felon whose record includes charges of aggravated burglary, abduction, strangulation and other offenses. The affidavit said he was also on a state list as a member of the Bloods gang.

Also in county Municipal Court, a case against Jeremiah R. Dick, 20, Cuyahoga Falls, was bound over to the county grand jury for fourth-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a 15-year-old girl in the back seat of a vehicle at the Cherry Valley Coke Ovens park in Leetonia on May 18.

A case against Laurena Georgean Boso, 31, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, was bound over to the county grand jury for charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanors of two counts of illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly throwing a glass pipe out of the vehicle window during a traffic stop on May 4 in Lisbon and also possessed a short green straw commonly used to snort/inhale paraphernalia and possessed the pipe. A status conference was set Sept. 8 and a court trial was set Sept. 15 for operating a vehicle impaired first offense, left of center, a tinted glass violation and drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a needle cap with a cotton ball and residue and a folded paper containing a pink powder suspected to be narcotics during a traffic stop on March 5 in St. Clair Township. She’s also facing a probation violation hearing review hearing on Sept. 8 for possession of drug abuse instrument for allegedly possessing a used syringe and drug paraphernalia with white residue inside on Sept. 16, 2024 in East Liverpool and for allegedly violating her probation for two cases from 2024 for drug paraphernalia and theft.

A pretrial was set June 12 for William Dean Hively, 54, Salem Grange Road, Salem, charged with making false alarms for allegedly reporting on June 2 that a woman in Salem Township wanted to kill herself and he wanted a welfare check done. He was in the county jail at the time. Deputies checked the call logs and video calls that Hively made and there was no record of him speaking to the woman. The affidavit said his video calls were checked and he spoke to another woman in reference to getting his bank cards from her and changing his passwords. He even allegedly stated he may have a deputy change his passwords on his behalf on his phone.

Two counts of domestic violence and one count of theft were dismissed against Sally Jo Stanley, 59, Leslie Road, Lisbon, at the request of the state due to the victim being unavailable to testify. On Aug. 4, 2024 in East Liverpool, Stanley was accused of allegedly pushing another woman from a chair, getting on top of her and trying to punch her. She also allegedly kicked her in the legs, the back and head, hit her with a flyswatter, threw a TV remote at her and threatened to kill her, then allegedly stole her phone before leaving.

A charge of fifth-degree felony domestic violence was dismissed against Don Duane Featherstone Jr., 43, Moore Avenue, East Liverpool, at the request of the state, with costs taxed to the state. He was allegedly accused of causing harm to a woman by putting his hands on her by grabbing and squeezing her arm, causing bruising on May 13 in East Liverpool.

Phillip Cline, 51, West Wilson Street, Salem, was fined $400 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended and credit for three days served, leaving a balance of seven days still to serve in jail for criminal trespass and misdemeanor theft amended from felony theft. He was ordered to make restitution of $1,381 and to stay out of Salem Walmart. He was accused of trespassing at Walmart in Salem on April 23 and April 26 and stealing $1,381 worth of items. He had been criminally trespassed from the store previously.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Timothy Price, 21, North Market Street, East Palestine, charged with domestic violence for allegedly throwing a fish at another male and approaching him with a knife during an argument on June 6 in East Palestine. The victim said Price pointed the knife toward him in a thrusting motion and he sprayed a hose at the defendant.

A pretrial was set June 9 for Marcus Mick, 31, Glasgow Road, Lisbon, charged with obstructing official business and disorderly conduct for allegedly walking on Glasgow Road, beating on people’s doors, hitting mailboxes, dumping trash cans and possibly taking belongings from properties on June 5 in Madison Township. He allegedly ignored commands from deputies to stop walking and had to be grabbed and restrained.

A pretrial was set Sept. 8 for Ernie Schmachtenberger, 47 Walker Road, Minerva, charged with using weapons while intoxicated for allegedly being intoxicated when his rifle went off inside the bedroom of his West Township residence on June 6. He initially claimed the the rifle accidentally discharged in the bedroom closet, but then changed his statement multiple times when confronted with evidence that a spent shell casing was found along with an entry hole for a bullet in the ceiling of the bedroom.

A pretrial was set Sept. 15 for Larry Scott, 44, Alice Street, East Palestine, charged with open container, operating a vehicle impaired first offense, OVI breath first offense, driving under suspension and marked lanes.

A pretrial was set Sept. 2 for Marguerite Casey, 65, Poland, charged with OVI first offense and OVI breath first offense.

A pretrial was set Sept.18 for Shane Andrews, 19, Mill Rock Road, Rogers, charged with driving while texting.

A pretrial was set Aug. 28 for Rockie Smith Jr., 38, Harvey Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set Sept. 18 for Aaron Nolt, 23, Signal Road, Columbiana, charged with speeding.

A pretrial was set Sept. 25 for Ashley Juillerat, 25, East Washington Street, Salem, charged with speeding.

John Burlini, 45, Poland, was fined $350 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for reckless operation amended from OVI at the request of the state. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Paul Curry, 34, East Park Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $100 for a stopped bus violation.

Holly Marie Bryarly, 39, Thompson Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for driving while texting.

Brian Stowers, 60, Annesley Road, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for driving while texting.

Robert Ross Jr., 36, state Route 344, Leetonia, was fined $150 for driving under suspension and speeding.