Court News

LISBON — A Wellsville man accused of trying to harm a woman and damaging her car window last year was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

James B. Oiler, 42, First Street, Wellsville, entered guilty pleas to fourth-degree felony aggravated assault, and misdemeanors of assault and criminal damaging earlier this year in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, with the aggravated assault charge a lesser offense of felonious assault, a second-degree felony.

He was accused of purposefully driving his vehicle left of center to strike a vehicle driven by a woman on Birch Road in St. Clair Township in an attempt to cause harm on Feb. 14, 2025. He also punched the driver side window of the car, causing the woman to flee out of the passenger door. He received credit for four days served in jail.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Danielle Bowers, 35, Dyke Road, Rogers, was placed on an intervention plan for two years after pleading guilty to an amended charge of attempted aggravated possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony, and possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. She was originally charged with aggravated possession of drugs. She possessed methamphetamine and cocaine on July 26, 2022.

— Britania B. Brown, 44, Toronto, was ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center with her community control continued until 2028 after violating the terms of her probation for open burning or open dumping of solid waste, an unclassified felony, for recklessly disposing of solid waste by open burning or open dumping from April 2, 2023 to Sept. 5, 2024.

— James M. Bonar Jr., 43, Steubenville, pleaded guilty to nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to pay support from June 6, 2021 to May 4, 2023. Sentencing was set for July 10.

— Spencer Weisend, 29, Massillon, was placed on an intervention plan for two years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing bromazolam on April 29, 2023.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Lucas M. Andric, 43, Okeechobee, Fla., was served Tuesday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for two counts of nonsupport of dependents, a fifth-degree felony, for failing to pay support for a minor child to two different people from Jan. 7, 2024 to Jan. 4, 2026.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Southwood Financial LLC, Sterling, Va., vs. Kristina S. Snyder, Washington Street, Leetonia; collection sought of alleged $48,639 debt, plus $11,883 interest and $37 associated costs.

Vicki Lynne Shell, East Woodland Avenue, Columbiana, vs. Ohio Valley Waste Service, Inc., Youngstown, et al.; damages sought for personal injury claim from 2024 traffic crash in Columbiana.

U.S. Bank National Association, Owensboro, Ky., vs. Edwin D. Mercer Jr., Commerce Street, Wellsville, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

Docket Entries

Eliahu Elkobi vs. Joseph F. Yurich, M.D., et al.; case dismissed.

JPMorgan Chase Bank vs. Virginia K. Daniels, et al.; case stayed due to bankruptcy filing.

Christopher L.R. Vesey vs. Kelli Vesey; divorce granted.

County Treasurer vs. Craig Smith, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Warren F. Louden, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure ordered for Madison Street, Leetonia property.

County Treasurer vs. Tom J. Prentice; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Maryann Elizabeth Bauldree Cannon; payment plan enter, case stayed, with taxes for one parcel paid and that parcel dismissed from complaint.

James Bruderly, doing business as Bruderly Excavating, vs. William Croach, doing business as Croach Construction; default judgment granted to plaintiff against defendants, damages hearing set for June 12.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set May 18 for Timothy L. Neal, 24, Independence Square, Wellsville, charged with domestic violence for allegedly headbutting a woman in the face on May 3 in Lisbon.

A pretrial was set May 18 for Michael Anthony Young, 31, College Street, East Liverpool, charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly threatening to kill a man while clanking two aluminum pipes together during an incident May 5 in East Liverpool. Police had been called to the property for a fight with shots fired. After Young made the threat, a female homeowner retrieved a firearm and fired one shot in the air in fear that he was going to harm them.

Michael F. Lewis, 42, Youngstown, was fined $150 and sentenced to three days in jail for public indecency expose private parts and disorderly conduct for urinating outside in the entryway of a business in downtown Lisbon where his private parts were observed by workers and customers on Feb. 10. He also used grossly abusive language towards the workers and customers.

A status conference hearing was set July 1 for Jacob Dawayne Rochwick, 46, New Castle, Pa., charged with two counts each of 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 money, then traveling to East Palestine on April 24 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. Rochwick was awaiting a pretrial for the same charges from a sex-for-hire incident on Oct. 31, 2025 in East Palestine when the more recent arrest occurred.

A status conference hearing was set July 29 and a jury trial was set Aug. 6 for Kobe N. Hayden, 27, Youngstown, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly requesting sexual conduct for an agreed upon price of $80 from an undercover agent, then drove to Salem on July 8, 2025 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

A pretrial was set July 14 for Cody Thomas Myers, 34, Warren, charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover familial ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with women in exchange for money, then arriving in East Palestine on Dec. 31, 2025 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

A pretrial was set July 14 for Karen Ann Skeins, 33, Youngstown, charged with soliciting for allegedly posting an ad offering sex for hire on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with an undercover agent who responded to the ad, traveling to East Palestine on Sept. 23, 2025 for the meeting.

Jeffrey M. Novak, 48, Lexington Avenue, Salem, was fined $350 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 89 days suspended and credit for one day served, for disorderly conduct amended from assault and criminal damaging. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service and have no contact with the victims. Novak punched the victim and punched the victim’s vehicle on May 15, 2025 in Salem

Brittany Lynn Ruf, 32, East Grant Street, East Palestine, was fined $350 and sentenced to one day in jail, with credit for one day served, leaving no time to serve for disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence and driving under suspension. On Aug. 14, 2025, she was yelling and hit a man in Unity Township.

Marie D. Whan, 72, Greensburg, Pa., was fined $100 for disorderly conduct amended from assault, with a charge of criminal trespass dismissed. Whan was accused of refusing to leave a Center Township property, grabbing a woman by the ponytail and dragging her to the ground on Sept. 15, 2925.

Anthony S. Manion, 58, East Sixth Street, Salem, was fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 29 days suspended and credit for one day served, for disorderly conduct amended from aggravated menacing for threatening a man at their work site in Salem on July 19, 2024, saying he was going to put a bullet through the man’s head and his family’s head.

Ashlee Sutton, 37, Pinewood Drive, New Waterford, was fined $250 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for resisting arrest, obstructing official business and disorderly conduct. She was ordered to complete 50 hours community service. In Leetonia during a traffic stop, she was asked multiple times to step out of the vehicle and refused, then was shouting multiple vulgar profanities during her arrest with children around in a public area on Feb. 16.

A pretrial was set May 18 for Catherine Grace Shaffer, 24, New Brighton, Pa., charged with obstructing official business and making false alarms for allegedly running a foot away from officers while handcuffed behind her back when taken into custody on an active warrant on May 5. On Jan. 18, 2024, she made false statements to East Liverpool police causing the arrest of a man for domestic violence. She was fined $30 for no seat belt.

A disposition hearing was set June 9 for Rebekkah Keenan, 33, Cricket Lane, Columbiana, charged with obstructing official business and possession of drug abuse instrument. She was dishonorably terminated from the drug court program. On Oct. 12, 2018, while East Palestine police officers were attempting to serve an arrest warrant on a man, she refused to open the door and then said he wasn’t home. Officers made entry and found the man inside the residence. On Oct. 17, 2018, she allegedly possessed a hypodermic syringe in East Palestine.

Rachel B. Troup, 49, Ravine Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 days suspended and credit for three days served, for drug paraphernalia. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service. Troup possessed a bag with a cut straw and a baggie with a crystal/rock-like substance inside during a traffic stop on July 17, 2023.

Pretrials were set July 7 for Joseph M. Edwards, 45, and Cassidie L. Edwards, 41, both of Steubenville, for three counts each of failure to file city income tax return for allegedly failing to file East Liverpool city income tax returns for 2021, 2023 and 2024.