Court News

LISBON — A Lisbon man facing drug charges entered a guilty plea Monday in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court.

David R. Johnson, 37, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a second-degree felony, and misdemeanors of possessing drug abuse instruments and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Sentencing was set for Dec. 15. A charge of aggravated trafficking in drugs will be dismissed.

Johnson was accused of possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk but less than 50 times bulk, along with syringes and drug paraphernalia on May 9, 2020.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Christy L. Dawson, 47, Holliday Street, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve 60 days in the county jail and placed under community control for three years for fourth-degree felony endangering children, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor domestic violence. She received credit for three days served, leaving a balance of 57 days still to serve in jail. She was ordered to have no contact with the victim. She was accused of placing her hands around a teen’s neck and applying pressure, causing him to have trouble breathing on June 30 in East Liverpool. She also possessed methamphetamine on Nov. 24, 2024. A change of strangulation was dismissed.

— Nicole Haynes, 37, Youngstown, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony domestic violence, with sentencing set for Dec. 12. She was accused of getting into another woman’s face while screaming, causing her to fear for her safety on Aug. 15, 2024. She also took the victim’s phone and threw it at her, striking the victim, according to an affidavit.

— Chad V. Lang Jr., 31, Cindell Street, Minerva, was placed under community control for three years during sentencing for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on June 11, 2024. He received credit for three days served in jail.

— Preston S. Beagle, 36, Continental Drive, Salem, was ordered to serve 120 days in the county jail for violating the terms of his probation for charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, and misdemeanors of obstructing official business and resisting arrest. He received credit for 95 days already served, leaving a balance of 25 days still to serve in jail. His community control was dishonorably terminated. Beagle had been accused of stealing a 2012 Ford Focus from a Salem residence on May 28, 2022 and then resisting when police were taking him into custody near his residence.

— Mason Jones, 33, North Street, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fourth-degree felony. He received credit for one day served in jail. Jones was accused of possessing fentanyl in an amount equal or greater than 1 gram but less than 5 grams on July 10, 2024.

— A Lisbon man who violated his probation for robbery, theft and a drug charge was ordered to serve at least two years six months in prison.

Donovain Casey, 19, Roller Coaster Road, recently appeared in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for a probation violation hearing, with his participation in drug court dishonorably terminated.

For the second-degree felony robbery charge, he was sentenced to an indefinite term of two to three years in prison, meaning he must serve the two years, then the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections will decide whether he serves the additional year for the maximum of three years. He was sentenced to six months for the fifth-degree felony theft charge, to be served at the same time as the robbery sentence.

He received an additional six months for a separate indictment for fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, to be served consecutively to the other case, bringing the minimum total to two and a half years in prison.

For the robbery case, he received credit for 270 days served. He received credit for 39 days served for the drug case.

Casey was accused of approaching a juvenile with a knife and stealing the victim’s cell phone before fleeing the area on foot on Oct. 29, 2024 in Salem. The drug charge was for possessing methamphetamine on Nov. 4, 2024.

— Christopher S. McCauley, 46, Lincoln Avenue, Wellsville, was ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is complete and to enter into drug court as additional requirements for probation for a 2022 drug case. He had violated his probation, but the community control was continued, with the extra requirements put into place. The case involved charges of third-degree felony illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility and fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine and possession of a fentanyl-related compound for possessing cocaine and fentanyl and trying to take drugs into a detention facility on Feb. 11, 2022.

— Jessie R. Vega, 32, Boardman, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, with sentencing set for Nov. 20. Vega possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk, but less than five times bulk on Aug. 5, 2024.

— Jessica L. Tremain, 33, Chester, W.Va., was placed under community control for five years and ordered to make monthly payments for the child support arrearage after pleading guilty to two counts of nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to pay child support for two children from Dec. 4, 2022 to Dec. 1, 2024.

Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Beth Ann Gartrell, North Street, Salineville, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for North Street, Salineville property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Mark D. Owen, Campbell Road, Wellsville, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Peake Street, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Alexis Burkett, Monaca Street, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Monaca Street, East Liverpool property.

William Cunningham, Commerce Street, Negley, vs. Brian Pearl, East Clark Street, East Palestine, et al.; damages sought for personal injury claim from 2023 traffic crash.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. unknown heirs, etc. of Georgia M. Gibson; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Melbourne Avenue, East Liverpool.

County Treasurer vs. Emory Wright, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Sunnyside Avenue, East Liverpool.

City of East Palestine vs. Amy L. Hull, et al.; case stayed due to bankruptcy filing.

Capital One, N.A., vs. Sandy Cooper; $15,102 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Huntington National Bank vs. Tracy L. Williams, et al.; case dismissed.