Common Pleas

New Cases

Preston McDonald, West Calla Road, Salem, and Alexandria McDonald, Avondale Street, East Liverpool; dissolution sought.

The 4M Company LLC, Boardman, vs. Felix Usis III, McKeefrey Manor Farm, West Main Street, Leetonia; judgment sought for $85,000 for alleged breach of contract and unjust enrichment related to architectural design, drawings and plans for bath house, indoor pool and corrider.

Raymond Horst, Northwest Street, Columbiana, vs David Firestone, Kelly Park Road, Leetonia; collection sought of alleged $29,000 debt.

Freedom Mortgage Corporation, Boca Raton, Fla., vs. Jeremy Martin, East Friend Street, Columbiana, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Capital One, NA, Columbus, vs. Sandy Cooper, Rochester Road, East Rochester; collection sought of alleged $15,102 debt.

Credit Acceptance Corporation, Southfield, Mich., vs. Jessica Anderson, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, et al.; collection sought of alleged $16,546 debt.

Docket Entries

Brown Valley Farm, LLC vs. Encino Energy, LLC, et al.; case remanded back to Common Pleas Court from United States District Court, final pretrial Nov. 18, 2026 and trial set Dec. 15, 2026.

Credit Acceptance Corporation vs. Samantha Williams; $11,458 judgment granted to plaintiff.

PennyMac Loan Services LLC vs. Tracie Hinzman, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Woodland Avenue, Salem property.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Quint Witherow, 43, Steubenville Pike Road, Salineville, was served recently with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on July 8, 2024.

Court News

LISBON — A Hanoverton man who struck a deputy in the face after being taken into custody for a warrant pleaded guilty recently to charges from two separate indictments in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

Thomas Pitts, 42, Foundry Hill Road, entered the guilty pleas to fourth-degree felony assault, fifth-degree felony obstructing official business, misdemeanor resisting arrest and fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs. Sentencing was set for Aug. 12.

Pitts was accused of attempting to flee after being taken into custody for a warrant, refusing to listen to commands and striking a deputy in the face with his elbow while resisting on May 22 in Hanover Township. The drug charge stemmed from his possession of methamphetamine on June 2, 2024.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Gary Ridgley, 45, Bell Road, Lisbon, was ordered to spend two days in the county jail for violating the terms of his probation for a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Aug. 3, 2020. He was sentenced to 41 days in the county jail, with credit for 39 days already served, leaving the two days to serve.

Municipal

LISBON — An East Palestine man was bound over to the grand jury recently in Columbiana County Municipal Court on charges related to a theft of a vehicle. George Faulkner Jr., 38, state Route 14, faces charges of third-degree felony receiving stolen property, felony five possessing criminal tools and felony five fraudulent actions concerning a vehicle’s identification number as well as misdemeanor criminal damaging. Faulkner allegedly painted a stolen jeep blue and was found in Perry Township with the vehicle and the keys belonging to it on July 24. Officers observed blue paint on Faulkner’s pants and shirt along with a roll of blue duct tape.

A pretrial was set Aug. 21 for Bryan Malone, 36, Grimms Bridge Road, East Liverpool, charged with violating a temporary protection order. On Aug. 6, officers responded to a domestic call at Malone’s residence. When officers arrived, Malone allegedly was carrying a child that was one of the protected parties of the protective order.

A pretrial was set for Nov. 17 for John Blinsky, 23, Youngstown, charged with unauthorized use of a plate.

A pretrial was set Sept. 30 for Sherri Salisbury, 61, Grant Street, Lisbon, charged with menacing. Salisbury allegedly threatened her landlord on Aug. 8 stating she would “bury him in the backyard after having him killed.”

A pretrial was set Nov. 3 for David Straka, 37, Toronto, charged with driving under suspension and unsafe vehicle.

A pretrial was set Nov. 4 for Virginia Mills, 58, Minerva Street, East Liverpool, charged with theft and possessing criminal tools. Mills allegedly attempted to steal items from the Calcutta Walmart by putting the merchandise in her purse and leaving all points of sales on July 30. The items totaled $83.

A pretrial was set for Brant Allison, 18, Canfield, charged with underage consumption.

Jonathan Adams, 53, Washington, Pa.,was fined $150 for speed.

A pretrial was set Nov. 4 for Corey Yates, 33, Cleveland Heights, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. Yates allegedly agreed to exchange $140 for sexual activity while communicating with an undercover agent on Aug. 8 and traveling to East Palestine to do so.

A pretrial was set Nov. 6 for Devon Oliver, 28, Boardman, charged with speeding.

A pretrial was set Oct. 30 for Kaden Hively, 20, Georgetown Road, North Georgetown, charged with underage consumption.

Vincent Newman, 29, Washington Street, Washingtonville was fined $75 for equipment violation.

Christopher Craft, 32, Independent Square Wellsville, was fined $500 and sentenced to 62 days in jail suspended for assault, amended from domestic violence. Craft struck a woman in the face, causing a bloody nose and lip as well as swelling to her face at his residence on Dec. 12.

A pretrial was set Nov. 10 for Loretta Falkner, 59, Ansley Road, East Liverpool, charged with OVI, reasonable control and no seat belt.

A pretrial was set Nov. 6 for David Lotze, 55, Yates Road, Salem, charged with interfering with a wildlife officer and miscellaneous wildlife violations. Lotze allegedly was observed walking out of an area known as “Chemline” wearing camouflage pants and an orange jacket. Lotze had already checked five white-talied deer in Columbiana County, two over the bag limit. At first Lotze reportedly denied hunting and later admitted hiding two firearms on the property.

Angel Lopez, 52, East Fifth Street, Salem, charged with driving under suspension or restriction.

A pretrial was set Aug. 14 for Paris Hartsoe, Canton, charged with assault and aggravated menacing. Officers responded to Perry Street in Salem to remove an individual. At the scene, officers learned that Hartsoe allegedly took a phone from a female at the residence and then threatened to do physical harm to her before chasing her down the street.

Joseph Halfhill, 40, Enon Valley, Pa., was fined $1,250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail with 170 suspended credit, three imposed and credit for three days served for two counts driving under suspension, reasonable control and OVI. He also received a two-year license suspension.

Shawn Tremain, 33, Steubenville Pike, Lisbon was fined $200 for driving under a 12-point license suspension.

A pretrial was set Nov. 4 for Brandee Pritt, 28, Saint Clair Shores Michigan, charged with speeding.