Grand jury

LISBON – Open indictments recently issued the Columbiana County Grand Jury include the following:

— Aaron J. Soxman, 47, Apollo, Pa., charged with fifth-degree felony improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, and misdemeanors of endangering children, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them-OVI, improper handling firearms in a motor vehicle and criminal damaging for allegedly having a loaded firearm and a child in the vehicle he was operating while impaired on Feb. 13 in Columbiana. He also allegedly damaged a chair at the Columbiana Police station.

— Jonathan Neal Gardner, 34, Duke Vodrey Road, East Liverpool, fifth-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. He also was kicking the door of the cruiser and window during transport to the jail, attempting to break out. The door was damaged.

— Charles A. DiPalma, 38, Steubenville, theft, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly failing to return a vehicle to a rental company from Feb. 15, 2026 to April 4, 2026.

— Ronald L. Keller, 52, Rochester Road, East Rochester, misdemeanor theft for allegedly stealing use of a rental vehicle from March 30, 2026 to April 6, 2026, with his case transferred back to Columbiana County Municipal Court.

— Reggie Scott Milton, 44, Akron, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanors of disorderly conduct and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia for allegedly walking in the street yelling for help and talking to himself late at night on Nov. 5, 2025 in Hanover Township. He was allegedly seen throwing a plastic bag on the ground containing a white substance which was positive for methamphetamine and also possessed a charred glass pipe known as a meth bubble in his vehicle.

— Shawn L. Paulin Sr., 47, Van Buren Avenue, Salem, misdemeanors of resisting arrest and obstructing official business for allegedly pulling away from police officers during his arrest for a domestic violence incident on April 23 in Perry Township and refused to sit after being carried to the police cruiser and tried to jump out of the car. His case was ordered transferred back to Columbiana County Municipal Court.

Municipal

In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set Aug. 18 for Karen Sue Culp, 41, Holliday Street, East Liverpool, charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly having a digital scale, smoking device commonly used to smoke crack cocaine and a bag with a white rock substance believed to be crack cocaine during an incident May 20, 2025 in a vehicle at the Gretchen’s Lock area of Beaver Creek State Park in St. Clair Township.

A pretrial was set Aug. 18 for Tracy Renee Douds, 48, Midland, Pa., charged with drug paraphernalia for allegedly having two smoking devices used to smoke crack cocaine and a paper fold with an unknown substance inside during an incident May 20, 2025 in a vehicle at the Gretchen’s Lock area of Beaver Creek State Park in St. Clair Township.

Zackary J. McFarland, 28, state Route 45, Lisbon, was fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 29 days suspended and credit for one day served, for drug paraphernalia for possessing a pipe with burnt residue and two clear baggies with a white crystal substance during a traffic stop on April 7 in Salem when he was a passenger.

A pretrial was set July 28 for Raquel Lynn Lester, 41, Warren, charged with drug paraphernalia and physical control for allegedly possessing suspected methamphetamine and a glass smoking device used to smoke meth when police officers arrived at Sheetz in St. Clair Township for a woman slumped over in a car on June 9.

Scott R. Jones, 45, Alliance, was fined $450 and sentenced to 12 days in jail, with credit for 12 days served, for criminal damaging, driving under suspension and a turn signal violation. Jones was accused of damaging the window at State Street Tattoo in Salem by drawing a male sex organ on the windows with a black sharpie on April 4, 2025.

Ginger Ann Crum, 47, Sell Road, Lisbon, was fined $200 and given a suspended 90-day jail term for theft, with 20 hours community service ordered. She was ordered to have no contact with Calcutta Walmart. She was accused of ticket switching multiple items, failing to pay for 44 items totaling $344 at the Calcutta Walmart on Feb. 10.

A non-prosecution agreement was approved, with Ashley Juarez, Grimms Bridge Road, East Liverpool, ordered to surrender two dogs, not own or harbor any animal and allow the Columbiana County Humane Society or other law enforcement to do random, unannounced daylight inspections to ensure compliance, all in exchange for no criminal charges being filed related to an animal seizure that occurred on May 28 at her property, with unsanitary conditions, no food and no water noted. The agreement will terminate on May 28, 2028.

A sentencing hearing was set Aug. 24 for Arthur R. Knox, 60, Monaca, Pa., who entered a guilty plea to physical control amended from OVI and speeding, with another OVI dismissed.

A pretrial was set July 28 for Andrea L. Abbott, 46, Akron, charged with OVI first offense, OVI refusal with prior within 20 years, driving under suspension and a tail lights violation.

A pretrial was set Aug. 12 for Robert Allen Endres, 37, Grant Street, Lisbon, charged with two counts of assault for allegedly being involved in a physical altercation with a woman and a juvenile, assaulting both victims and then fleeing on May 10 in Center Township.

A sentencing hearing was set Aug. 10 for Tyler A. Heffner, 22, Chester Avenue, Wellsville, who entered a guilty plea to domestic violence. Heffner was accused of threatening a woman on video on June 5 in Wellsville.

A court trial was set June 17 for Mark Allen Schrecengost, 36, state Route 170, East Palestine, charged with two counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling profanities and abusive language at a neighbor on May 24 in Unity Township and then also on May 27 at the mobile home park walking through the flower bed and kicking mulch out onto the road.

A pretrial was set Aug. 11 for James Leroy Bollinger, 62, Front Street, Negley, charged with criminal damaging, obstructing official business, failure to stop after an accident, reckless operation and slow speed for an alleged road rage incident when he allegedly intentionally sideswiped a vehicle, prompting the victim to stop the vehicle, then Bollinger intentionally struck the rear of the victim’s vehicle. The victim got the license plate of the teal truck which fled the scene, which came back to the defendant. When contacted by police, Bollinger denied being in the accident and claimed he didn’t own the teal truck, then when confronted with the evidence, claimed to be the victim of the hit and run and said he parked his truck on the street. Police found the truck and learned the license plate had been removed and hidden in the cab to conceal the owner’s identity.

A pretrial was set Aug. 4 for Nathan Christian Fuentes, 52, Warren, 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 Unity Township on June 6 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

A pretrial was set Aug. 11 for Randy Charles Lyons, 59, Beaver, 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 a woman in exchange for $140, then traveling to Unity Township on June 5 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.

Lionel W. Bechard, 64, state Route 644, Salineville, was fined $150 for two counts of minor misdemeanor disorderly conduct amended from misdemeanors of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The charges stemmed from an incident on Aug. 18, 2025 when he attempted to drive away from a traffic stop and then issued threats and insults in Salineville.

Heather L. Sluss, 42, homeless, was sentenced to 45 days in jail, with credit for 11 days served, leaving a balance of 34 days still to serve in jail for misdemeanor criminal mischief amended from fifth-degree felony breaking and entering for being inside a vacant residence on May 29 in Wellsville.

David A. Heddleston III, 51, homeless, was sentenced to 45 days in jail, with credit for 11 days served, leaving 34 days still to serve in jail for misdemeanor criminal mischief amended from fifth-degree felony breaking and entering being inside a vacant residence on May 29 in Wellsville.

A pretrial was set June 22 for Timothy R. Boggs, 33, Glen Street, East Liverpool, charged with resisting arrest and obstructing official business for allegedly running from a garage into a thicket of woods behind a home when deputies arrived to serve a warrant, was given numerous warnings and was apprehended by K-9 Jimmy on June 6 in Elkrun Township.

A pretrial was set June 15 for Nick Rhodes, 52, Bell Road, Lisbon, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly pulling away from officers taking him into custody for an active warrant, then kicking the doors and windows after being placed in the cruiser on June 6 in Elkrun Township.

Travis Eugene Hickman, 42, Elk Avenue, Lisbon, was fined $300 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 28 days suspended and credit for two days served, for open container and two counts of disorderly conduct for using profane language in a public space in Lisbon, urinating in public and having an open beer in the parking lot of First United Methodist Church on June 6.

Michael R. Rollins, 35, Main Street, Wellsville, was fined $50 for disorderly conduct amended from theft for taking cash from the register while working as the general manager at Rich’s gas station in Wellsville on Feb. 7, 2022.

David J. Drouhard, 38, Berlin Center, was fined $100 for disorderly conduct amended from criminal trespass. He was accused of trespassing at the Foundry bar in Salem on Nov. 23, 2025 after being trespassed from the facility the month before.

Edward J. Crump, 32, Berlin Center, was fined $100 for disorderly conduct amended from criminal trespass for trespassing at the Foundry bar in Salem on Nov. 23, 2025 after being trespassed from the facility the month before.

A pretrial was set Aug. 12 for Kimberly D. Lamb, 41, Salem Unity Road, Salem, charged with theft for allegedly failing to pay for $100 worth of items from the Salem Walmart on May 27.

Michael J. Murphy, 48, Amarillo Avenue, Negley, was fined $1,100 and sentenced to five days in jail for failure to comply, obstructing official business and two merged charges of operating a vehicle impaired. A turn signal violation was dismissed. His license was suspended for two years, with 40 hours community service ordered. He was also ordered to serve 40 days of electronically monitored house arrest. During a traffic stop on Sept. 11, 2025, he was pulling his arm close to his body as a trooper was attempting to handcuff him. He also fled before finally stopping for the traffic stop. An open container charge was dismissed.

Lovepreet Singh, 31, Boring Lane, Calcutta, was fined $1,225 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended and $500 of the fine suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for operating a vehicle impaired, left of center and lighted lights amended from speeding. Singh’s license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted, and 30 hours community service ordered.

A pretrial was set Aug. 17 for Stefan White, Columbia Street, Leetonia, charged with OVI first offense, OVI breath first offense, headlights required and left of center.

Gabrielle Carmen Jean Morris, 27, Grandview Street, East Liverpool, was fined $300 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for 27 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program, for reckless operation amended from OVI and for a turn signal violation, with 20 hours community service ordered. Her license was suspended for one year.