Common Pleas

New Cases

Bradley T. Green, Milbourne Avenue, East Liverpool, and Melanie K. Green, New Cumberland, W.Va.; dissolution sought.

Brianna Curtis, Maple Avenue, Wellsville, vs. Logan Curtis, Chester, W.Va.; divorce sought.

Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC, Anaheim, Calif., vs. Brian W. McCaslin, Woodland Avenue, Salem; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Huntington National Bank, Columbus, vs. Francis Cerech, Main Street, Leetonia; collection sought of alleged $85,226 debt.

Michael Malone, Elkton Road, Lisbon, vs. Olesea Husk, Whipoorwill Avenue, Hanoverton, et al.; damages sought for alleged personal injury/insurance claims from 2025 traffic crash.

Docket Entries

Carrington Mortgage Services LLC vs. Maren N. Rankin, et al.; case stayed.

SRS Distribution, Inc., doing business as Willoughby Supply, vs. JB Foaming, LLC, et al.; $24,040 judgment granted to plaintiff, plus $4,327 interest.

JPMorgan Chase Bank vs. Julie L. Temple, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Wellsville property.

Michael J. Sprouse and Jaime Lee Sprouse; dissolution granted.

Sarah Anne Smith and Brett A. Smith; dissolution granted.

County Treasurer vs. Donald G. Pease; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Beth Ann Gartrell, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Norton Street, Salineville property.

County Treasurer vs. Alan Jakes, et al.; payment plan entered, case stayed.

Marriage Licenses

Jacob H. Melott, 34, Leetonia, custodian, and Thalia R. Kage, 35, Leetonia, claims service special.

Jessie L. Barton, 36, East Liverpool, extrusion operator, and Krista Lee Pipes, 33, East Liverpool, unemployed.

Stephen J. Fisher Jr., 57, Columbiana, financial advisor, and Teresa Sue Blake, 54, Barboursville, unemployed.

Johnny Lane Doss, 65, Columbiana, retired, and Rebecca L. Bragg, 50, East Liverpool, disabled.

Dakota R. Moore, 23, East Liverpool, field technician, and Madison M. Stevens, 23, East Liverpool, server.

Nicholas Munoz, 66, East Liverpool, retired, and Shelley L. Grimm, 63, Salem, retired-SSDI.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Two drug defendants were served recently with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury.

Charles D. Harrison, 29, Rose Drive, Lisbon, was charged with aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on March 1, 2024.

James D. Walsh, 27, Lacroft Avenue, East Liverpool, was charged with aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Oct. 18, 2024.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set Jan. 28 for Patrick Joseph Dilworth, 38, New Springfield, charged with third-degree felony compelling prostitution and fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of a juvenile female being portrayed as a foster child runaway and arranging to have sexual activity with her in exchange for $140, then traveling to East Palestine on Nov. 19 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. According to the affidavit, he was previously convicted of engaging in prostitution in July. According to court records, the previous sex for hire incident occurred in Salem.

Justin W. Kinser, 35, Homeworth Road, Alliance, was fined $1,230 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended and credit for two days served, leaving a balance of eight days to serve in jail, along with 45 days of electronically monitored house arrest with work release, for domestic violence, operating a vehicle impaired, failure to control and no seat belt. Charges of aggravated menacing and OVI were dismissed. He was ordered to complete 30 hours community service and his driver’s license was suspended for two years. He was also ordered to serve 10 days in jail for violating his probation for a 2024 domestic violence case, but with the time to be served at the same time as the current cases. On Feb. 12, 2025 while consuming alcohol, he was accused of threatening to assault another man, broke numerous items and kicked in the door to a bedroom and kicked or punched a large hole in another door at a Knox Township residence.

Mason Anthony Shreve, 19, Duke Vodrey Road, Calcutta, was fined $200 for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence for causing damage to another man’s vehicle and threatening to kill him on March 19 in East Liverpool.

Darrin L. Harsh Jr., 32, East Lincoln Way, Lisbon, was fined $150 for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence for pushing a woman after taking her phone from her truck stopping her from leaving on Sept. 26 in Lisbon.

Kelsey E. Joy, 32, East Lincoln Way, Lisbon, was fined $150 for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence for hitting a man in the face on Sept. 26 in Lisbon.

A pretrial was set Feb. 17 for Joshua W. Francis, 44, Park Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with violation of a protection order for allegedly sending multiple text messages to a woman who had a protection order against him on Nov. 21 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set Feb. 10 for Christopher J. Halfhill, 29, last known address East Third Street, Salem, charged with theft and open container in a public place for allegedly taking a soft drink and leaving without paying at Speedway in Salem on Oct. 22. On Oct. 21 in Salem, he allegedly had an open container of alcohol.

A pretrial was set Feb. 23 for Jessica L. Mike, 39, Logan Street, East Liverpool, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly slamming the door shut when a sheriff’s deputy came to an East Liverpool residence looking for a man wanted on a secret indictment on Nov. 22. She was given multiple commands to return to the front door and eventually did, with police receiving permission to check the residence for him. He was located in a bedroom attempting to conceal himself behind a bed.

A pretrial was set Dec. 8 for Jesse M. Jackson, 45, state Route 154, Lisbon, charged with theft for allegedly stealing a delivered package on Aug. 19 in East Liverpool which contained a pair of boots, an egg cooker and a pack of floss sticks belonging to another man.

A pretrial was set Feb. 23 for Edward J. Crump, 32, Berlin Center, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing at the Foundry bar in Salem on Nov. 23 after previously being trespassed from the property in October.

A pretrial was set Feb. 23 for David J. Drouhard, 38, Berlin Center, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing at the Foundry bar in Salem on Nov. 23 after previously being trespassed from the property in October.

Jacob Hunter Richards, 22, state Route 164, Lisbon, was fined $915 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 175 days suspended and credit for two days served in jail and three days served in driver intervention program, for OVI, speeding and weapons while intoxicated, amended from a felony of improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and his driver’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted. Richards was accused of having a loaded handgun in his vehicle while driving impaired on Nov. 8 in Salem Township.

Kyler J. Smith, 33, East 11th Street, Salem, was fined $1,050 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for physical control amended from OVI and speeding. Another OVI charge was dismissed. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

Andrew T. Richardson, 35, Washington Street, Salem, was fined $1,175 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for OVI and left of center. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was ordered to complete 35 hours community service.

A pretrial was set Feb. 17 for Toni Jean James, 47, County Airport Road, Wellsville, charged with loud exhaust and two counts of driving under suspension.

Larry K. McCullers, 41, Ashi Lane, Columbiana, was fined $150 for no license amended from driving under suspension.

Lionel W. Besherd, 64, state Route 644, Salineville, was fined $100 for improper passing, with a charge of reckless operation dismissed.

Jordan Lewis, 31, Youngstown, was fined $150 for driving under suspension.

Michael D. Weir, 48, East Ninth Street, Salem, was fined $75 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Nicole Marie Snedeker, 44, East Adams Street, East Palestine, was fined $150 for expired license and an equipment violation amended from use of unauthorized plate.

Susan Marie Jenkins, 43, St. Clair Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $200 for driving under suspension and a lighted lights violation.

Lawrence W. Stacey II, 64, Firestone Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $10 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Chad M. Collins, 39, Salem Alliance Road, Salem, was fined $200 for driving under suspension and expired plate.

James Conrad, 48, Montrose Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for driving under suspension.

Renee Ann Engelman, 61, Darlington, Pa., was fined $35 for speeding.

Thomas E. Sorrell, 72, Spencerville, was fined $75 for failure to stop after an accident, with a charge of speeding dismissed.

Ali Madaminbekov, 63, Stow, was fined $150 for an equipment violation amended from reasonable control, with a charge of traffic control devices dismissed.

James E. Baranovich, 73, North Lincoln Avenue, Salem, was fined $100 for an equipment violation amended from assured clear distance.

Carley Rae Calabrette, 23, Struthers, was fined $75 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man facing punishment for six separate cases in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for multiple drug possession charges, fleeing from police twice and tampering with evidence was ordered to prison for 30 months, or two and a half years.

Ronald M. Melott, 49, last known address Lacroft Avenue, received a sentence of 12 months for four of the drug cases, then an additional nine months each, or 18 months for two counts of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony, bringing the total to 30 months.

He also received two mandatory $5,000 fines for two charges of aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, and was ordered to forfeit $389 of alleged drug money. His driver’s license was suspended for 10 years.

Other charges included third-degree felony tampering with evidence and two counts fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs.

He was accused of leading police on a 9-mile long pursuit on Oct. 22, 2024 in Liverpool Township before crashing the truck he was driving over an embankment, then bailing from the truck that landed on its roof and fleeing into the nearby woods. He also fled from police on Oct. 6, 2024, tampered with evidence on May 18, 2023, and possessed methamphetamine on May 9, 2023, May 18, 2023, and July 11, 2023 and Dec. 28, 2024.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Dashmel Jesus Fernandez Rosa, 26, Boardman, was ordered to prison for six months for violating the terms of his probation for attempted compelling prostitution, a fourth-degree felony, and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fifth-degree felony, for a sex-for-hire case on Feb. 21, 2022 in East Palestine. His community control was dishonorably terminated.

— Christian E. Henry, 22, Lisa Lane, Lisbon, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for violating the terms of his probation for improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, for having a loaded firearm in a vehicle on July 27, 2023. He received credit for 76 days served in jail. His participation in drug court was dishonorably terminated.