Court News

LISBON — A Lisbon man accused of ramming another vehicle with a van last June and then fleeing from a Rogers business with a child still inside the van entered guilty pleas to multiple charges Monday in a plea deal involving two separate cases.

James D. Laughlin, 34, state Route 518, pleaded guilty to one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, a third-degree felony of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, and misdemeanor endangering children for the June 29, 2025 incident in Rogers.

He also pleaded guilty to assault, a fifth-degree felony, for assaulting a man at the Columbiana County jail on April 23, 2025.

Sentencing was set for March 13 in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court before Judge Megan Bickerton. According to the plea agreement, the prosecutor’s office will be recommending a total prison term of five years. The recommendation includes a breakdown of three years for the felonious assault, 18 months for the failure to comply and 180 days or six months for the endangering children, with the felonious assault and endangering children to be served at the same time but consecutive to the failure to comply charge, bringing the total to four and a half years, then an additional six months for the assault charge related to the jail, bringing the total to five years.

According to an affidavit filed in county Municipal Court, the felonious assault case began when Laughlin became aggressive with a woman at the Rogers Food and Fuel, Depot Street, Rogers. She ran to a friend who was driving a Jeep with other people inside. Laughlin then jumped in the van they were driving, with the woman’s unrestrained 2-year-old child inside, and intentionally rammed the Jeep with the van, then fled the area with the child still inside. Laughlin fled at a high rate of speed when an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper initiated a traffic stop in Madison Township, then Laughlin drove into a yard, left the vehicle and fled on foot into a wooded lot.

Another count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and fourth-degree felony counts of domestic violence and two counts vehicular assault will be dismissed.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Joseph M. Savin Jr., 39, Clark Avenue, Wellsville, pleaded guilty to a lesser-included offense of third-degree felony burglary and fourth-degree felony grand theft, with sentencing set for March 6. He was originally charged with second-degree felony burglary. Savin stole a Kubota tractor from a garage he broke into in Wellsville between Dec. 28, 2024 through Jan. 4, 2025, with the Kubota reported missing on Jan. 3. He was pulled over with the Kubota in East Palestine and admitted to taking it and leaving it on a friend’s property in Toronto, court documents said.

— Megan Wilson, 36, Toledo, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony tampering with evidence and fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, with sentencing set for March 6. Wilson was accused of possessing cocaine and fentanyl and tampering with evidence on Aug. 26, 2022.

— Jonathon L. Lagone, 23, North Ellsworth Avenue, Salem, pleaded guilty to third-degree felony domestic violence, with sentencing set for March 6. He was accused of physically harming a woman on Sept. 20, 2025, with two or more prior convictions for domestic violence on his record.

— Randy James Reynolds, 25, Louise Street, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to fourth-degree felony domestic violence. He received credit for 61 days served. A fourth-degree felony charge of strangulation will be dismissed. Reynolds was accused of tackling a woman to the ground and strangling her on Nov. 5 in East Liverpool.

— Durell Jordan Beauford, 37, Clarks Mill Road, Hammondsville, was placed under community control for three years for having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony, and receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony, with credit for 322 days served. A charge of abduction was dismissed. Beauford had a stolen 9mm in his possession on June 2, 2000 and was prohibited from possessing a weapon due to a previous conviction.

— James R. Leonard, 42, Idaho Avenue, Salem, was placed under community control for three years for four counts of swatting, a fourth-degree felony, and misdemeanor counts of menacing by stalking and telecommunications harassment. He was ordered to make restitution of $1,380 and received credit for one day served in jail. On Jan. 6, Jan. 7, Jan. 14 and Feb. 7, all in 2024, Leonard reported false or misleading information to law enforcement or emergency personnel which caused an emergency response. From Nov. 22, 2023 to May 1, 2024, he engaged in a pattern of conduct that caused a woman to believe he would cause her physical harm and also harassed a person through telecommunication from Nov. 22, 2023 to May 1, 2024.

— Michael Earich, 52, Campground Road, Wellsville, was ordered to serve 300 days in the county jail, with credit for 215 days served, leaving a balance of 85 days still to serve for violating the terms of his probation for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. His community control was dishonorably terminated. Earich possessed cocaine on May 27, 2022.

— April D. Badamo, 24, Annesley Road, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve 300 days in the county jail, with credit for 220 days served, leaving a balance of 80 days still to serve for violating the terms of her probation for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. Her community control was dishonorably terminated. She possessed methamphetamine on Dec. 9, 2023.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, cases against Richard Joseph Sweger, 56, Darlington, Pa., were bound over to the county grand jury for third-degree felony compelling prostitution, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of an adult female trafficking a minor female and arranging for sexual activity with both females in exchange for $260 an hour for four or five hours, then traveling to East Palestine on Dec. 28, 2025 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession, along with other items and $2,151.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set Feb. 9 for Todd R. Sabean, 42, Akron, charged with fourth-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and misdemeanors of speeding, traffic control devices and marked lanes. Sabean allegedly left a traffic stop in Columbiana on Dec. 1, 2025, leading police on a pursuit for 3 miles before they called it off and he did not stop.

A pretrial was set March 18 for Kandice Leann Cunningham, 52, Old Fredericktown Road, East Liverpool, charged with domestic violence for allegedly threatening to kill a man, which was recorded on his phone, on Jan. 5 in St. Clair Township.

Travis James White, 32, Cannons Mill Road, East Liverpool, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 146 days suspended and credit for four days served, leaving 30 days to serve under electronically monitored house arrest for domestic violence. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. White struck a woman in the face with her phone on Dec. 18, 2025 in St. Clair Township.

A pretrial was set March 23 for Ryan James McKenzie, 49, West Newton, Pa., charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with two women in the ad, then drove through a snow storm on Dec. 31 for the meeting in East Palestine with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Zavea Daniel Green, 21, Pittsburgh, Pa., was fined $750 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools, but with the sentence stayed pending appeal. He was ordered to complete 20 hours of community service and he already completed a course for prostitution prevention. Green was accused of requesting sexual conduct from an undercover agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force for an agreed upon price of $100, then driving to Salem for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Eric C. Knoch, 55, Newton Falls, was fined $800 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools, with the sentence stayed pending appeal. The defense motion to dismiss was overruled. He was ordered to complete 35 hours of community service and a prostitution prevention course. Knoch was accused of requesting sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $80 as a Christmas in July Special from an undercover agent, then driving to Salem on July 23, 2025 for the meeting. An affidavit said he was a convicted felon and a registered sex offender.

Randall Lynn Davis, 38, Holliday Street, East Liverpool, was fined $300 and given suspended jail terms of 90 days and 30 days for obstructing official business and disorderly conduct. He was ordered to complete 25 hours community service. Davis was accused of walking to where Liverpool Township police officers were conducting an investigation, while he was intoxicated. He was uncooperative, making a statement to the victims/complainants which upset them to the point they told him to leave their property. He was refusing to show officers his identification and asking an officer to turn off his body camera.

Elizabeth Lynn Coulter, 44, East Fourth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $300 and given suspended jail terms of 180 days and 30 days for obstructing justice and criminal trespass. She was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. Coulter was accused of trespassing in a condemned home in East Liverpool on Dec. 5, 2025 and refusing to exit her vehicle after East Liverpool police were called on April 28, 2025 for a woman passed out in the driver seat of a vehicle with a dog inside and the windows up

A pretrial was set March 16 for Ryan K. Dickey, 38, Metz Road, New Waterford, charged with menacing and obstructing official business for allegedly making threats to Columbiana police officers and disobeying their commands, attempting to pull away from them on Dec. 15, 2025.

A pretrial was set March 16 for Lucas Lee Gravley, 46, High Street, Washingtonville, charged with theft for allegedly attempting to leave the Salem Walmart without paying for $228 worth of merchandise on Sept. 8, 2025.

A pretrial was set March 11 for Kenneth Aaron Bragg, 32, Youngstown, charged with obstructing justice for allegedly lying about his name and date of birth while in a vehicle broken down on state Route 11 southbound on Sept. 17, 2025 in Liverpool Township.

Shannen E. Myers, 46, Glenn Street, East Liverpool, was fined $250 for possession of drug abuse instrument for possessing multiple used syringes when police checked on the welfare of a woman slumped over behind the wheel of a car in East Liverpool on Sept. 25, 2025 and identified the woman as Myers. A charge of expired registration was dismissed at the city’s request.

A pretrial was set March 24 for Robert John Anderson III, 46, Dutchtown School Road, Rogers, charged with hunting white tailed deer without a non-resident deer permit and hunting without a non-resident hunting license for alleged hunting violations on Dec. 5, 2025 in Elkrun Township.

John Triner, 63, Center Street, East Liverpool, was fined $500 and given a suspended 10-day jail term for a charge of litter. A charge of storage of furniture was dismissed, with court costs waived for that charge only. Triner was accused of failing to maintain his property, with a large amount of junk and debris outside on May 19, 2025 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set March 23 for Cory A. Thurston, 21, East Woodland Avenue, Columbiana, charged with operating a vehicle impaired second offense.

A pretrial was set March 18 for Kayde Emerson Banister, 20, Cream Ridge Road, Lisbon, charged with reckless operation.

A pretrial was set March 4 for Timothy A. Maple, 53, Echo Dell Road, East Liverpool, charged with no valid license.

A pretrial was set March 23 for Phillip Aaron Michael Carpenter, 24, state Route 45, Wellsville, charged with physical control.

Christopher Lee Miller, 58, Annesley Road, East Liverpool, was fined $300 for no license and assured clear distance.

A speeding charge against Nathan Mitchell Roush, 22, state Route 170, East Palestine, was dismissed, with costs taxed against the village of East Palestine.

Frederick Judd Webb, 48, Van Buren Avenue, Salem, was fined $50 for driving while texting, with the fine and points to be suspended upon completion of a distracted driving course within 30 days.

David Alan Ritchie, 29, Mineral Ridge, was fined $150 for two counts of speeding.

Helen Aber, 52, Midland, Pa., was fined $75 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Erik B. Kennedy, 53, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, was fined $75 for speeding.

Americo Dandrea, 72, Coraopolis, Pa., was fined $50 for speeding.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Dana Sue Rapp, Brown Street, Lisbon, and Shawn Ray Rapp, North Market Street, Lisbon; dissolution sought.

PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, Westlake Village, Calif., vs. Jacob N. Brown, East Third Street, Salem, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for East Third Street, Salem property.

NewRez LLC, Greenville, S.C., vs. Walter Clutter, state Route 267, East Liverpool, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for state Route 267, East Liverpool property.

Jefferson Capital Systems LLC, Sartell, Minn. vs. Susan Fader, old state Route 344, Leetonia; collection sought of alleged $15,080 debt.

Docket Entries

Freedom Mortgage Corporation vs. Denise A. Biller, executor and devisee of estate of Larry D. Evans, et al.; foreclosure dismissed.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Ashley M. Rhodes, 38, state Route 344, Leetonia, was served Monday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on Oct. 10, 2025.