Court News

— Ashley Bable, 38, Sophia Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to terms of 18 months and eight months in prison, to be served consecutively, for a total prison term of 26 months in prison for two counts of complicity in the commission of an offense, a third-degree felony, fifth-degree felonies of aggravated possession of drugs, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, possession of heroin and two counts possession of drugs and fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation. The trespass charge was originally a second-degree felony charge of burglary for entering a property with the intent to commit theft on April l 6, 2023. Two counts of fifth-degree felony complicity in the commission of an offense were dismissed. Bable and two others conspired and participated in a scheme to get narcotics into the county jail and also conspired to obtain illegal narcotics to sneak into the jail on Sept. 12, 2024 and Sept. 13, 2024. On Sept. 13, 2024, Bable possessed methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, buprenorphine and xylazine. She received credit for four days served in jail.

— Austin Carter, 26, Lincoln Avenue, Wellsville, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to fifth-degree felony violating a protection order for sending a friend request via social media to a protected person on March 13 in East Liverpool. The prison term was ordered served at the same time as the 12-month term he received last month for violating his probation for third-degree felony burglary, fourth-degree felony domestic violence and misdemeanor criminal damaging. He received credit for 154 days served. For that case, he was accused of threatening to harm a woman, entering a property and damaging the woman’s cell phone on Dec. 3, 2021.

— Jamie Tice Jr., 24, Malone Road, Salineville, was sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Jan. 23, 2024. The prison term was ordered served at the same time as the 12-month prison term he received earlier this month for violating his probation for harassment with a bodily substance, a fifth-degree felony, for harassing a corrections officer at the county jail with a bodily substance on Jan. 26, 2024.

— Austin Bussey, 26, New Springfield, was sentenced to nine months in prison for third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer for fleeing on a motorcycle from Columbiana police attempting a traffic stop on April 26, 2024 in Columbiana. The motorcycle was found abandoned and he later turned himself in. He received credit for two days served in jail and his driver’s license was suspended for five years.

— Clayton R. Murray, 25, East Martin Street, East Palestine, was placed under community control for three years and sentenced to serve 45 days in the county jail for fifth-degree felony attempted aggravated assault amended from felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and misdemeanors of using weapons while intoxicated and three counts of aggravated menacing. A police affidavit alleged that Murray pulled a gun out of his waistband, pointed inside a vehicle with four occupants and told them to leave after an incident in East Palestine on July 13, 2024.

— Samantha Jo Ward, 39, state Route 7, New Waterford, was placed under community control for four years and ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Lisbon for attempted tampering with evidence, a fourth-degree felony lesser offense (originally third-degree felony tampering with evidence), two counts of fifth-degree felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanors of endangering children and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them-OVI. Charges of resisting arrest, obstructing official business and driving under suspension were dismissed. For the OVI charge, she was sentenced to three days in jail, but already served the time. She was also fined $565 and her driver’s license was suspended for two years. During a traffic stop on Aug. 5, 2024 in Lisbon, Ward attempted to carry a small silver box out of her vehicle after being told to leave all items in the vehicle, she then re-entered the vehicle before exiting the vehicle again. While Lisbon police attempted to handcuff her, she threw the box into a grassy area and police found it contained suspected narcotics. She continued trying to enter the vehicle and resisted. The endangering children charge stemmed from three children being in the vehicle while she was driving under the influence. She was accused of possessing cocaine during that traffic stop and also on Nov. 24, 2022.