Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man accused of assaulting a woman last August was placed under community control for three years, but ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center.

Phillip Jackson, 69, Riverview Street, appeared for sentencing recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for a lesser offense of aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony, and misdemeanor domestic violence. A second-degree felony of strangulation was dismissed. The aggravated assault was originally felonious assault, a second-degree felony.

According to a police affidavit filed in county Municipal Court, he was accused of punching a woman in the face, slamming her head against the wall and floor, stomping on her arms and ribs area and strangling her with his hands, causing her to go in and out of consciousness on Aug. 2 in East Liverpool.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Hayden M. Wright, 36, Railroad Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to charges from three separate indictments, including a lesser offense of misdemeanor failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, third-degree felony having weapons while under disability and a specification for forfeiture of a weapon while under disability, and third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs. Sentencing was set for July 10. Charges to be dismissed include tampering with evidence, resisting arrest and obstructing official business. Wright failed to comply during an incident Nov. 25, 2023, possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on July 9, 2024 and had a weapon Nov. 26, 2025 when prohibited from having one due to a previous felony drug conviction. Several guns were ordered forfeited.

— James D. Walsh, 27, Lacroft Avenue, East Liverpool, was placed under community control for three years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, with credit for one day served. He possessed methamphetamine on Oct. 18, 2024.

— Nicholas L. Wolfe, 465, Failor Alley, East Palestine, was ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is successfully completed, then placed into drug court for up to five years after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a third-degree felony. He also received a fine of $5,000 for possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on June 16, 2024.

Common Pleas

NEW CASES

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. William L. Catlett, Mattix Road, Lisbon, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for East Washington Street, Lisbon property.

Larissa D. Burgess, Georgetown Road, Salem, vs. Kevin T. Burgess, Stewart Road, Salem; divorce sought.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Des Moines, Iowa, vs. Mark Miller, U.S. Route 30, Lisbon, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, Westlake Village, Calif. vs. Thomas J. Orlando, state Route 558, Leetonia, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.

DOCKET ENTRIES

Bank of America, N.A. vs. David C. Fusco, et al.; foreclosure order vacated, case dismissed.

Donnie L. Gillespie and Elizabeth R. Gillespie; dissolution granted.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Donald L. Porter, 77, Salem, retired, and Roberta Kay Unkefer, 65, East Rochester, retired.

Mathew J. Bellito, 36, Salem, network engineer, and Gretchen M. Thomas, 26, Salem, accountant.

Daniel P. Halas, 50, Columbiana, business owner, and Candace Ann Madden, 39, Columbiana, healthcare philanthropy.

Maxwell L.Brassfield, 40, New Waterford, construction, and Megan N. Erdel, 32, New Waterford, preschool teacher.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set May 27 for Lance M. Morris, 39, Hilltop Drive, Lisbon, charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for allegedly beating a woman with a large mirror and frame and making her fear she was going to be killed on May 18 in Salem.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set June 8 for Thomas Richard Clark, 33, Lacroft Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with fourth-degree felony burglary and misdemeanors of menacing by stalking and criminal damaging for allegedly breaking into a woman’s home on May 16 in East Liverpool. He was intoxicated and was seen driving by her residence several times over several hours, an affidavit said. After he was there, he punched out the tail light of a vehicle.

A preliminary hearing was set May 26 for Shauntrice Krysale Carter, 32, Oakland Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with harassment by an inmate, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly spitting at an East Liverpool police officer as she was being detained on May 16 in East Liverpool. She had fled on foot after being advised she was being pink-slipped for mental health reasons, meaning she was being taken to a hospital by force.

A preliminary hearing was set June 1 for Rosie J. Faulkner, 38, West Main Street, East Palestine, charged with third-degree felony tampering with evidence for allegedly trying to conceal an item from police during a traffic stop on April 13, 2025 in East Palestine when the driver handed her cash and a substance started dropping from the bills. A probable cause hearing was also set for June 1 for probation violations from 2023 cases of attempted, obstructing and resisting arrest and operating a vehicle impaired.

A pretrial was set May 27 for Daniel P. Rudibaugh, 36, West Ninth Street, Salem, charged with domestic violence for allegedly picking up a chair and threatening to strike a woman with it after an argument on May 15 in Salem.

A pretrial was set June 1 for Pete L. Gibson, 41, state Route 154, Rogers, charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly threatening to shoot another person in the head in New Waterford on May 17.

Steven J. Cappitte, 41, Southeast Boulevard, Salem, was fined $750 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 83 days suspended and credit for two days served, leaving a balance of five days to serve in jail for disorderly conduct and obstructing official business. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service. Cappitte shoved a woman in the face and chased her into the street on Feb. 8 in Salem. During the incident, he kept slamming the door of the home and fled inside when officers approached to take him into custody.

Matthew Christopher Ward, 37, Michigan Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $150 and sentenced to three days in jail, with credit for three days served, for disorderly conduct for throwing a water bottle at a fence and vehicle in East Liverpool, and arguing and yelling at people who were outside on May 15.

George M. McGinness, 48, North Market Street, East Palestine, was fined $250 and given a suspended 60-day jail term for obstructing official business and disorderly conduct. A charge of criminal trespass was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and to have no contact with the victim. He trespassed in a New Waterford property and stayed after being told to leave and attempted to open the locked door on April 10.

Jeffrey Nelson James, 46, Seventh Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $650 and sentenced to 30 days in jail for physical control amended from OVI and disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence, with another OVI suspended. His license was suspended for one year. James shoved a woman into a bath tub causing injury on Oct. 6, 2025 in Liverpool Township. He was also ordered to serve 60 days in jail for violating the terms of his probation for 2025 cases of OVI, physical control and disorderly conduct.

Paul Joseph Schrag, 36, Deerfield, was fined $250 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer for fleeing from police during a pursuit after a hit/skip in Salem on Jan. 20. His license was suspended for 180 days, with driving privileges granted, and he was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

Alyssa D. Evans, 31, Bradshaw Avenue, East Liverpool, was fined $400 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for theft and endangering children. On Jan. 10 in Wellsville, she struck a parked car while a child was in the vehicle. On Jan. 6, she pocketed some items and didn’t scan others, all totaling $39 at the Salem Walmart.

A status conference hearing was set July 6 and a court trial was set July 13 for Stephanie J. Igo, 37, Bell Road, Negley, charged with theft for allegedly stealing two weld-pads and multiple battery-power tools from a garage on Jan. 27 in Negley.

Amanda Clara Regal, 39, East Springfield, was fined $100 for failure to file tax return for failing to file a sales tax return in 2025 for The Corner Pocket in Leetonia.

Frankie L. Brown, 37, Vernia Street, East Liverpool, was fined $100 for failure to file tax return for failing to file a sales tax return from July to December 2025 for AFK Gaming in East Liverpool.

Isaiah J. Carl, 18, West State Street, Salem, was fined $150 and sentenced to 10 days in jail, with credit for one day served, leaving nine days to serve for drug paraphernalia for possessing a meth pipe on May 17 in Perry Township.

Connin Scott Craig, 22, King Road, Salem, was fined $665 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for operating a vehicle impaired first offense, marked lanes and no turn signal. His license was suspended for one year with driving privileges granted. Another OVI charge was dismissed. He was ordered to complete 20 hours community service.

A pretrial was set July 29 for Charlene Taylor, 74, Kingsridge Road, East Liverpool, charged with OVI first offense, OVI breath first offense and reasonable control.