Court News

LISBON — An East Liverpool man accused of having sexual contact with a child, starting when the child was 6 and continuing until the child was 15 years old, entered a guilty plea to one count of gross sexual imposition.

Shawn M. McKinnon, 31, Minerva Street, East Liverpool, will face sentencing in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court on Aug. 24 for the third-degree felony charge. Seven counts of third-degree felony gross sexual imposition and one count of fourth-degree felony gross sexual imposition will be dismissed.

The eight counts stemmed from sexual contact with the child from Feb. 4, 2013 to Feb. 3, 2020, with the fourth-degree felony stemming from sexual contact beginning Feb. 4, 2020 to Oct. 31, 2022.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Willie Lashurn Hill Jr., 19, Struthers, pleaded guilty to two counts of complicity in the commission of an offense, both fourth-degree felonies, and receiving stolen property, a fifth-degree felony, with sentencing set for Aug. 6. Hill was accused of aiding and abetting another in the theft of a motor vehicle and for possessing a stolen license plate on Jan. 26, 2025.

— Robyn Wornoff, 37, Garfield Heights, was placed under an intervention plan for 18 months after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on June 17, 2025.

— Taylor Vidmar, 31, Monaca, Pa., was placed on an intervention plan for two years after pleading guilty to theft and unauthorized use of computer, cable or telecommunications property, both fifth-degree felonies, for depriving Walmart of $2,227 from Feb. 7, 2020 to March 20, 2020.

— Katrina J. Clarke, 34, Moore Road, East Liverpool, was placed under community control after violating the terms of her treatment plan, which was terminated, for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and illegal possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, for possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia on Aug. 23, 2023.

— Mary G. Hamilton, 36, Lisa Lane, Lisbon, was sentenced to 120 days in the county jail, with credit for 68 days, leaving 52 days still to serve after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Sept. 27, 2025.

Common Pleas

NEW CASES

Colette E. Mascher, Walnut Grove Lane, New Waterford, vs. Braxton Mascher, c/o Traci Mascher, Pinewood Drive, New Waterford; divorce sought.

ODK Capital, LLC, South Jordan, Utah, vs. Columbiana Nutrition LLC, Canton, and Ivan Adu Poku, Windjammer Drive, Columbiana; collection sought of alleged $20,668 debt.

Autovest, LLC, Cincinnati, vs. Tamie Dixie Lee Westover, Clarks Mill Road, Hammondsville; collection sought of alleged $15,042 debt.

DOCKET ENTRIES

Jessica M. Hanlon vs. Chad E. Hanlon Sr.; divorce granted.

Freedom Mortgage Corporation vs. Lewis B. Andric, et al.; stay vacated, case reactivated.

Christopher Crooms vs. Leonard Hruby, et al.; case settled and dismissed.

Pamela Boratyn, director of Ohio Department of Transportation, vs. unknown heirs, etc. of George W. Ward Sr., deceased, et al.; TotalEnergies E&P USA, Inc. dismissed as defendant.

Mariner Finance LLC vs. Robert V. Selmon Sr.; $20,765 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Joseph E. Sheely vs. Home Depot, et al.; stipulated protective order issued related to discovery documents in case.

Seven Seventeen Credit Union, Inc. vs. Larry W. Glenn Jr.; $14,417 judgment granted to plaintiff, plus interest of $1,634.

Bank of America, N.A. vs. Walter A. Persing; $26,603 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Canton School Employees Federal Credit Union vs. Lindsay M. Hale and Roger Lee Hale; $18,769 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Capital One, N.A. vs. Adam Kelly; $22,095 judgment granted to plaintiff.

County Treasurer vs. Betty Dorris; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

County Treasurer vs. Ohio Luxury Builders LLC, et al.; case stayed.

Fifth Third Bank, N.A. vs. Timothy Jones, et al.; mortgage foreclosure ordered for Teegarden Road, Lisbon property.

James M. Morgan vs. Kayla M. Morgan; divorce granted.

County Treasurer vs. Raymond Franklin Shahan Jr., et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed for two separate parcels.

County Treasurer vs. Raymond W. Koch, et al.; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

Kyle Kowalkowski vs. Clarissa Kowalkowski; divorce granted.

Brenda L. Pidgeon vs. Michael J. Pidgeon; legal separation granted.

Municipal

LISBON — A Pennsylvania man who had a developmentally disabled client in the work van he was driving when he showed up in East Palestine for a sex-for-hire meeting last December faced his punishment in court Tuesday.

In Columbiana County Municipal Court, Lamorris Bernard Lowman, 37, Industry, Pa., was fined $500 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools, with 20 hours community service and a prostitution prevention course ordered.

According to an affidavit by an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, Lowman responded to a posted undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranged for sexual activity with a woman in exchange for money on Dec. 23, 2025. He arrived at the meeting location in East Palestine and was driving a work van, with a client with mental disabilities in the back of the van. The affidavit said Lowman advised “he was going to leave the man in the vehicle while he was inside the female’s house.” Lowman possessed both money and the phone used to make the arrangements.

Also in county Municipal Court, a preliminary hearing was set June 17 for Austin R. Lemasters, 28, Malone Road, Salineville, charged with third-degree felony burglary for allegedly breaking into a home in Yellow Creek Township on May 10.

A pretrial was set June 22 for Desiree M. Walker, 32, South Washington Street, East Palestine, charged with domestic violence for allegedly physically assaulting a man on June 6 in East Palestine.

Dakota Isaac Densmore, 24, state Route 46, New Waterford, was fined $250 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 170 days suspended and credit for two days served, leaving eight days still to serve in jail for assault, with 20 hours community service ordered. He’s to have no contact with the victim. On March 24 in New Waterford, he physically harmed a woman while trying to take her phone.

Adam M. Archer, 49, Canton, was fined $500 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools, with 20 hours community service and a prostitution prevention course ordered. Archer responded to a posted undercover ad on a known prostitution website of two women and while working construction at Crestview Schools arranged on his lunch break to meet the women for sexual activity in exchange of r$120, arriving in East Palestine on Jan. 8 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Nicole M. Polen, 42, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, was fined $400 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 29 days suspended and credit for one day served, for two counts of disorderly conduct amended from domestic violence and resisting arrest, with 20 hours community service ordered. Polen pushed a man causing him to fall and cut open his arm on Jan. 27 in Columbiana, then attempted to pull away from officers taking her into custody.

Kayla M. Bake, 31, Canton, was fined $200 and sentenced to five days in jail, with credit for one day served, leaving four days still to serve for theft and criminal trespass for stealing from the Salem Walmart on March 27 after previously being trespassed from the store.

April L. Essary, 33, Weirton, W.Va., was ordered to pay costs and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 179 days suspended and credit for one day served, for theft and obstructing official business, with 40 hours community service ordered. She was ordered to serve 10 days electronically monitored house arrest. She’s to have no contact with Duke & Duchess in Columbiana. She entered Duke & Duchess in Columbiana on April 8, grabbed a bag of Dorito chips, ate some, then shoved the bag down her pants. When confronted, she denied the allegation and claimed to have a colostomy bag. During a pat-down, a police officer found the bag of chips and the defendant admitting to not having a colostomy bag.

Jasmine Griffin, 23, Dilworth Road, East Liverpool, was fined $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 178 days suspended and credit for two days served in jail, for resisting arrest, with 40 hours community service ordered. During an incident on Aug. 2, 2025 in East Liverpool, she refused to follow police commands and resisted, causing an officer to be injured.

A pretrial was set Aug. 4 for Brian Scott Noble, 55, Pauls Lane, East Liverpool, charged with animals running at large for five goats running loose in East Liverpool on May 11.

A pretrial was set Aug. 10 for James M. Fristik, 37, Enon Valley, charged with discarding litter for allegedly dumping several plastic garbage bags of refuse near the recycling bins in East Palestine on May 5, with his name and address on a package in the refuse.

A pretrial was set Aug. 12 for Joshua David Ellison, 43, Wilbert Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with operating a vehicle impaired second offense, operating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and loud exhaust.

A case against Thomas Richard Clark, 33, Lacroft Avenue, East Liverpool, was bound over to the county grand jury for 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. After he was there, he punched out the tail light of a vehicle.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set June 15 for Tanika M. Smith, 46, West Fourth Street, East Liverpool, charged with fourth-degree felony assault on a peace officer and misdemeanors of resisting arrest, menacing, disorderly conduct and open container for allegedly using grossly abusive language while intoxicated in Lisbon on June 6 and had an open wine cooler on the property of the First United Methodist Church, then while being taken into custody, she attempted to pull away from police officers, threatened a police officer and was kicking at him several times.

A preliminary/pretrial hearing was set June 15 for Nicholas A. Potts, 40, Randel Road, Hanoverton, charged with third-degree felony intimidation and misdemeanor aggravated menacing for allegedly leaning over the bar and threatening the manager on May 23, then on June 6, a Salem police officer saw him and placed him into custody and while en route to the jail, Potts allegedly told threatened the officer, saying he would be out in six hours and the officer now had an X on his back.