Court News

LISBON — A Toledo man accused of possessing cocaine and images of minors in a state of nudity when he arrived for a sex-for-hire meeting last year in East Palestine was sentenced to six months in prison.

Jeremiah J. Loredo, 40, appeared for sentencing in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court recently for fifth-degree felonies of possession of cocaine and two counts illegal use of minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance.

The sentence was six months for each count, but to be served at the same time. He was also designated a Tier I sex offender and will have to register as a sex offender once he’s released from prison. The images of minors in a state of nudity were found on Loredo’s phone when he arrived for the sex-for-hire meeting on Feb. 16, 2025, which is also when he possessed cocaine.

He was already convicted in county Municipal Court of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for the sex-for-hire incident.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Mary L. Peterson, 58, Darlington Road, Negley, was placed under community control for three years for assault, a fourth-degree felony, for attempting to physically harm a man on March 16, 2025.

— Calvin G. Taylor, 49, Youngstown, was ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is completed and had his treatment plan extended for an additional year for violating the terms of his treatment plan for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. He possessed cocaine on April 30, 2022.

— Leroy McEldowney, 46, Hammondsville, was placed under community control for two years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. He received credit for three days served in jail. He possessed methamphetamine on May 31, 2024.

— Jessica L. Cross, 44, East Third Street, Salem, was placed under a treatment plan for three years and ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is completed after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony. She received credit for two days served in jail. She possessed methamphetamine on April 10, 2025.

— Adam H. Watkins, 40, Fox Chase Road, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony theft, with sentencing set for May 11. He was accused of stealing building materials and tools from East End Lumber in East Liverpool from March 17, 2025 to Nov. 29, 2025.

— Justine M. Bowley, 35, Youngstown, pleaded guilty to three counts of nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for June 12. Bowley failed to pay support from Feb. 26, 2023 to Feb. 23, 2025.

— A Columbiana man accused of possessing images of child pornography was ordered evaluated again for current competency and for sanity at the time of the offenses.

Richard Braham, 27, West Park Avenue, had previously been found competent and without serious mental issues last fall, but his defense attorney Charley Kidder requested another evaluation in February, which was ordered but wasn’t completed.

On April 20, Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam again ordered the evaluations be done by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio and set a new status hearing for May 22. The defendant appeared via video from the jail.

Braham was charged last year with one count of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, a fourth-degree felony, and four counts of illegal use of minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a fifth-degree felony. All the charges stemmed from his alleged possession of the images of children in a state of nudity on Nov. 10, 2023.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Alayah Cheylynn Thornton, 26, Commerce Street, Wellsville, was sentenced to 15 months in prison during a sentencing hearing for two separate cases. Thornton was sentenced to six months for fifth-degree felony possession of a fentanyl-related compound and nine months for third-degree felony illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, with the terms to be served consecutively for the total of 15 months in prison. A charge of aggravated possession of drugs will be dismissed. Thornton possessed fentanyl on Feb. 24, 2024 and attempted to take drugs into a detention facility on Dec. 20, 2024. Thornton received credit for 52 days served in jail.

— Joshua Marshall, 38, Boardman, was ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is completed and his probation was extended until Sept. 28, 2028 after violating the terms of his probation for theft, a fifth-degree felony. He took money belonging to another man from June 14, 2023 to June 16, 2023. When he was originally sentenced, he was ordered to pay restitution of $3,800.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Laura K. Fitch, Old Monroeville Road, Salineville, vs. Michael T. Atkinson, Old Monroeville Road, Salineville; divorce sought.

Donna Dangelo Green, East Rochester Road, East Rochester, vs. Terry Lee Green, East Rochester Road, East Rochester; divorce sought.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Melinda Jean Holbrook, West Sixth Street, Salem, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for West Sixth Street, Salem property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Michael A. Matta, East Main Street, East Palestine, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for East Main Street, East Palestine property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Elijah W. Alexander Jr., Lanham, Md., et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Oakwood Street, Lisbon property.

Courtney Colleen McGee, South Madison Avenue, Salem, vs. Glen Dale McGee, South Madison Avenue, Salem; divorce sought.

James G. Bryson, Camelot Drive, Columbiana, vs. Tracy L. Bryson, Camelot Drive, Columbiana; divorce sought.

Data Mortgage Inc., doing business as Essex Mortgage, Ocala, Fla., vs. Ryan D. Riley, as executor of estate of Rohn D. Riley, Hilliard, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Fair Avenue, Salem property.

Docket Entries

County Treasurer vs. Douglas A. Verzella, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Pineridge Properties LLC, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.

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

County Treasurer vs. Matthew Land, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Michael E. Vinci, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Randall S. Stover, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Nicholas D. Drayer, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Adam L. Newbold, et al., payment plan entered, case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. Steven Griffin, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Donald Fioravanti, et al.; payment plan completed, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Earl A. Schoch II, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Southeast Boulevard, Salem property.

American Express National Bank vs. Joshua Jones; $11,844 judgment granted to plaintiff.

ABL Wholesale Distributors Inc. vs. Elias Diab Tayeh, et al.; judgment against defendants vacated, case returned to active docket.

HSBC Bank USA vs. Shawn R. Cusick, et al.; foreclosure complaint dismissed.

Capital One, N.A. vs. Haley Karelin; $6,501 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Portfolio Recovery Associations, LLC vs. John M. Berkheimer; judgment of $14,917 against defendant from 2010 revived.

Michael A. Young vs. Monica Jo Young; divorce granted.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a case against William Ronald Payton, 21, Bouquet Street, Negley, was bound over to the county grand jury for assault, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly striking a corrections officer in the face multiple times while he was an inmate at the county jail in Lisbon on April 2.

Cases against Kazon Latif Carter, 26, Youngstown, were bound over to the county grand jury for third-degree felony strangulation and misdemeanors of theft, domestic violence and assault for allegedly grabbing a woman by the throat and beginning to strangle her on Sept. 15, 2025 in East Liverpool. The affidavit said the victim struggled to breathe and blacked out. Carter was also yelling at her and after the assault, he slammed his head against the wall, breaking a large hole in the drywall. He also stole her cell phone. In a separate case, a pretrial was set June 17 for Carter for charges of two counts assault and single counts of criminal damaging and endangering children for a domestic on Oct. 1, 2025 in East Liverpool when he struck the rear window of the woman’s vehicle after an argument, with children inside, shattering the window, with the glass hitting all three children.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set April 29 for Terry M. McDaniel, 29, Alliance, charged with fifth-degree felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching another man in the face with a closed fist on April 21 in Lisbon and placing him in a chokehold, causing him to struggle to breathe and speak.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set April 29 for Jonathan Neal Gardner, 34, Duke Vodrey Road, East Liverpool, charged with third-degree felony vandalism, fourth-degree felony assault and misdemeanor obstructing official business for allegedly refusing to comply with police orders during a traffic stop on April 22 in East Liverpool, then kicking at a police officer when being placed in the back of a cruiser, making contact with the officer’s hat, causing the officer’s head to jar backwards, almost striking him in the side of the head. He also was kicking the door of the cruiser and window during transport to the jail, attempting to break out. He was told multiple times to stop. The door was damaged.

A pretrial was set April 29 for Michael R. McDaniel, 40, Alliance, charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly pointing a firearm at two women after a fight ended between two men on April 21 in Lisbon.

A fourth-degree felony burglary charge against James Merino, 69, Benton Road, Salem, was dismissed at the request of the prosecutor with the costs taxed to the state. He was accused of kicking the door in and entering a Lisa Lane, Lisbon property on April 8 and yelling at two people inside. An eviction notice was posted on the adjacent property, with his name on it as the owner of the property seeking the eviction of the residents.

Wade Eldridge Tookes, 55, State Street, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence for a 2019 case in East Liverpool when he was accused of pushing a woman into a wall and spitting in her face on March 20, 2019.

Brooke A. Potts, 24, East Lincoln Way, Lisbon, was fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 24 days suspended and credit for three days served, leaving a balance of three days still to serve for menacing. Potts was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and have no contact with the victim. Potts was accused of pushing a pregnant woman during an altercation on Oct. 13, 2025 in Lisbon.

A disposition hearing was set June 29 for Shawn Robert Shirk, 44, Genesee, Pa., charged with engaging in prostitution, possessing criminal tools, obstructing official business, operating a vehicle impaired first offense, refuse to submit to test for commercial motor vehicle or commercial driver’s license, no seat belt and marked lanes. On July 19, 2025, he allegedly failed to exit the vehicle after being asked multiple times during a traffic stop in Perry Township upon suspicion of being impaired. On Jan. 15, 2026, he arrived in East Palestine for a sex-for-hire meeting after responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $140. He also possessed the phone used to make the arrangements.

A pretrial was set July 13 for Daniel Joseph Alexander, 58, Bellaire, 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 a woman in exchange for $140, then traveling to East Palestine on April 21 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

A pretrial was set May 13 for Chelsea Rose Baker, 30, Laura Avenue, East Liverpool, charge with violation of a protection order for allegedly yelling at a protected party from her front door and yelling profanity on April 21 in East Liverpool.

A pretrial was set July 15 for Matthew J. Crowl, 47, East Third Street, Salem, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing at Speedway, West State Street, Salem on April 21 after previously being trespassed from the property.

A pretrial was set April 29 for Brandon Allen Green, 33, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool, charged with criminal trespass for allegedly trespassing on the property of Woodland Hills in East Liverpool after being trespassed from all property of the Columbiana Metropolitan Housing Authority.

Ryan D. Armstrong, 41, Depot Road, Salem, was fined $150 and sentenced to five days in jail, with credit for one day served, leaving four days still to serve for criminal trespass for entering Speedway on West State Street, Salem on April 22 after previously being trespassed from the property.

Wendel Duane Powell, 49, North Jackson, was fined $450 for misdemeanor obstructing official business amended from third-degree felony tampering with evidence and a lights violation. Powell stomped on a burnt glass pipe, destroying the evidence, after the pipe fell out of his pants during a traffic stop when he stepped from the vehicle on March 11 in East Liverpool.

Gerald Bradley Ward, 69, St. George Street, East Liverpool, was fined $250 for drug paraphernalia for possessing a burnt metal crack pipe during a traffic stop on April 14 in East Liverpool.

Brandi J. Pasco, 47, Alliance, was sentenced to 25 days in jail, with credit for two days served, leaving a balance of 23 days to serve in jail for violating the terms of her probation for a 2025 case of drug abuse instrument and drug paraphernalia.

A pretrial was set June 29 for William E. Harshman, 63, Pittsburgh, Pa., charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing a pill bottle with a white substance inside, a torch lighter, a tear off and suspected crack cocaine during an incident in Columbiana on Feb. 15.

Robyn Marie Wornoff, 37, Garfield Heights, was fined $1,245 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 176 days suspended, credit for one day served in jail and credit for three days to be served in a driver intervention program, for OVI, driving under suspension and a stop sign violation. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year and she was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

A court trial was set May 11 for Leanna Eve Risbeck, 24, West Perry Street, Salem, charged with driving while texting

A pretrial was set June 24 for Adam Harrington, 40, McGeehan Road, Lisbon, charged with OVI first offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years, expired license and marked lanes.

A pretrial was set June 29 for Jason Allen Kane, 42, Erie Street, East Liverpool, charged with driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set June 29 for Ronnie E. Colvin Jr., 46, Columbia Street, Salem, charged with driving under suspension.

A court trial was set May 13 for Shaun Brickfield, 30, Boyd Road, Wellsville, charged with speeding.

Frank W. Langham Jr., 58, Youngstown, was fined $715 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 156 suspended and credit for 14 days served, leaving 10 days still to serve in jail for OVI refusal with prior within 20 years. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Trisa N. Jackson, 44, Canton, was fined $200 for furnishing false information, unauthorized plate, and two counts of driving under suspension. A tail light violation and a child restraint charge were both dismissed. She was accused of giving a false name during a traffic stop on Nov. 15, 2012 in Yellow Creek Township.

Chastity K. Toothman, 37, East Fourth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $50 for speeding.

James Everett, 37, Canton, was fined $75 for speeding.

Emily Constance Murphy, 27, Chardon, was fined $150 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Jonathan Bryan, 42, state Route 170, East Palestine, was fined $50 for driving under suspension.

Payten Densmore, 24, state Route 46, New Waterford, was fined $230 for driving under suspension under suspension, reasonable control and no seat belt.

Deanna Knicely, 49, Irondale, was fined $75 for no license.

Howard Eugene Martin, 40, Mary Street, East Liverpool, was fined $75 for a lights violation amended from left of center.

Michael John Cheuvront, 56, Beaver Falls, Pa., was fined $75 for driving under suspension and a stop sign violation.

Thomas J. Koziorynsky, 47, Youngtown, was fined $75 for speeding.

Grand Jury

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

Bryan Dilling, 54, Rose Drive, Lisbon, was charged with second-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs and third-degree felony tampering with evidence for allegedly trying to sell and possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than five times bulk but less than 50 times bulk and tampering with evidence on Nov. 11, 2025.

Justin R. Barrett, 41, last known address Sophia Street, East Liverpool, was charged with third-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs for allegedly trying to sell and possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on Nov. 12, 2025.