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Common Pleas
NEW CASES
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Rexford E. Mays II, Samuel Street, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Samuel Street, East Liverpool property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. El Venture Investments LLC, Summit Street, East Liverpool; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Avondale Street, East Liverpool property.
County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Donald Leroy Johnson III, Glenn Street, East Liverpool, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Glenn Street, East Liverpool property.
Barry S. Weigle II, McClure Road, East Palestine, vs. Ann L. Weigle, McClure Road, East Palestine; divorce sought.
Darcy L. Wilson, Sprucevale Road, East Liverpool, vs. Corey S. Wilson, New Castle, Pa.; divorce sought.
NewRez LLC, Greenville, S.C., vs. Aaron HE James, West Martin Street, East Palestine, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for West Martin Street, East Palestine property.
Midfirst Bank, Oklahoma City, Okla., vs. Jack Smalley, state Route 172, East Rochester, et al.; mortgage foreclosure sought for Columbiana County property.
DOCKET ENTRIES
Ally Bank vs. Victoria Hoon, et al.; $22,453 judgment granted to plaintiff, plus $1,017 finance charges and $424 late charges.
Grand Jury
LISBON -- Tyler Bartley, 29, New Brighton, Pa., was served Monday with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on April 4, 2025.
Court News
LISBON -- An East Liverpool man accused of beating and kicking another man unconscious was found not capable of understanding the criminal case against him and ordered into treatment to restore competency.
Marcus Lee White, 44, Mulberry Street, had been ordered evaluated for competency and sanity by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio.
During a recent hearing in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, it was revealed that the report found he was not capable of understanding the nature and objective of the proceeding against him and not capable of presently assisting in his defense due to his present mental condition.
It was also found that he could be restored to competency within the timeframe allowed by law.
He was ordered to undergo treatment at the Heartland Behavioral Healthcare in Massillon, in effect for one year.
White was charged earlier this year with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly striking another man in the head multiple times with both punches and kicks which rendered him unconscious at the time police and EMS arrived in East Liverpool on March 25.
Also in Common Pleas Court:
-- A motion to suppress evidence related to the search of his cell phone and his vehicle was denied in the case against Paskal Nkumba, 27, Windsor Mill, Md., who's charged with fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools for allegedly responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging to have sexual activity with a woman for $140, then traveling to East Palestine on Oct. 3 for the meeting. While being removed from his box truck, he allegedly deleted the message thread between himself and an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force from his cell phone that was used to make the arrangements. He also possessed suspected LSD mushrooms, also known as psilocyn. The judge found that he consented to the search of his phone at the scene when an agent with the MVHTTF asked for permission and he provided the agent with his passcode. As for the search of his vehicle, the agent said it's procedure to do an inventory search of a vehicle when it's being towed from the scene.
-- Grant Chidester, 32, Pittsburgh, Pa., pleaded guilty to fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor engaging in prostitution, with sentencing set for Oct. 30. A charge of third-degree felony compelling prostitution will be dismissed. Chidester was originally accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of an adult woman and a minor girl and arranging for sexual activity with both, including the minor, for $160, then traveling to East Palestine on Dec. 12, 2025 for the meeting with the phone used to make the arrangements in his possession. He also possessed methamphetamine.
-- Stephen James McRae, 43, Davidsville, Pa., pleaded guilty to engaging in prostitution, a misdemeanor, with sentencing set for Jan. 4. Charges of third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanors of possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business will be dismissed. He was originally accused of responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website of two women and arranging for sexual activity with them in exchange for $30, then arriving in East Palestine on Oct. 31, 2025 for the meeting. He started to delete the texting application he was using and not exiting the vehicle.
-- Michael TA Morris, 40, Cornell Street, East Liverpool,, was placed under community control for two years after pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, with credit for five days served in jail. Morris possessed cocaine on Feb. 3, 2026.
-- Ricardo Gonzalez, 36, last known address Canton, was placed under community control for two years, with credit for seven days served in jail,, for aggravated possession of drugs and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, both fifth-degree felonies. He possessed fentanyl and methamphetamine on April 17, 2026.
-- Brian Jay Hebb, 53, Burghill, was placed under community control for three years with credit for 74 days served in jail for possession of cocaine, a fourth-degree felony, and third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs. He also received a mandatory $5,000 fine. Hebb possessed 5 to 10 grams of cocaine and an amount of psilocyn equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk.
-- Katrina T. Clarke, 34, Moore Road, East Liverpool, was ordered to prison for nine months for violating the terms of her probation for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia, with credit for 11 days served in jail. Clarke possessed methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia on Aug. 23, 2023.
-- Brian J. Fattler, 52, last known address Jefferson Avenue, Salem, was ordered to serve 150 days in the country jail, with credit for 55 days served, leaving a balance of 95 days still to serve for violating the terms of his probation for misdemeanor domestic violence. When he was originally sentenced, charges of third-degree felony abduction and misdemeanor unlawful restraint were dismissed. He was accused of holding a woman down against her will and not letting her go, with a knife in his hand which he put down by her side on Sept. 21, 2025 in West Township.
-- Alyda Marie Chapman, 32, Waterford, Pa., was placed under community control for five years after pleading guilty to illegal use of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits or WIC program benefits, a third-degree felony. She was ordered to make restitution of $13,806 to the Department of Job and Family Services. The illegal use of SNAP occurred from Oct. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2023.
-- Anthony E. Barbero, 46, Poland, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for third-degree felony tampering with evidence, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and misdemeanor possession of drugs, with credit for 119 days served. On May 1, 2025 Barbero tampered with evidence and possessed bromazolam and testosterone.
Municipal
LISBON -- In Columbiana County Municipal Court, Patricia Exline, 48, last known address Honey Lane, Leetonia, was fined $950 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for physical control amended from operating a vehicle impaired and two counts criminal damaging. Charges of assault, open container, OVI and marked lanes were dismissed. Her license was suspended for 180 days, with driving privileges granted. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and to make restitution of $1,753 to the victim. Exline used a pair of scissors to attempt to flatten another woman's tires at the Travelers Inn in Lisbon on March 10, 2026 and attempted to kick in the door. She also grabbed a woman by the collar and then by the hair and pulled her down.
A pretrial was set Nov. 25 for Travis Scot Weyand, 38, Dewey Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with violation of a protection order for allegedly accessing the victim's bank account, which he's not authorized to access, and tried to send the victim money from the account via the Cash App on April 11, 2025 in East Liverpool.
Alex Eugene Farnsworth, 33, Ephriam Street, East Liverpool, was fined $500 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 23 days suspended and credit for seven days served, for two counts of disorderly conduct, with one amended from aggravated menacing and one amended from telecommunications harassment, with 20 hours community service ordered. Farnsworth was accused of harassing a woman and threatening to burn her house down on Aug. 30 in St. Clair Township. On March 14 in East Liverpool, he sent numerous harassing and threatening text messages and phone calls to the same woman.
A pretrial was set Oct. 14 for Antion D. Shelby Osgood, 54, Minneapolis, Minn., charged with illegal conveyance of prohibited items onto grounds of a detention facility and criminal trespass for allegedly launching items over the fence at the federal prison in Elkton on Sept. 28. According to an affidavit, Osgood was found hiding in the woods dressed in camouflage and claimed he was getting a ride from Minnesota to Cleveland and got lost. FCI Elkton staff found a launcher and cell phones and tobacco wrapped in socks near where they found Osgood. These items were the same packages found inside the prison fence. Osgood allegedly admitted he was paid to ride along with people unknown to him to shoot the items over the fence.
A status conference hearing was set Nov. 16 for Richard T. Williams, 40, 15th Street, Wellsville, charged with possession of a schedule 4 substance, menacing and a tinted glass violation for allegedly possessing suspected alprazolam pills during a traffic stop on May 23, 2026 in Liverpool Township. On April 12. 2026 in Wellsville, he allegedly yelled threatening remarks at another man from his vehicle.
Latroy Taiwan McMillian, 31, Warren, was fined $500 and sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 58 days suspended and credit for two days served, for soliciting and possessing criminal tools, with 20 hours community service ordered. McMillian posted an ad on a known prostitution website offering sex for hire and arranged for sexual activity with an undercover agent who responded to the ad, arriving on Nov. 8, 2024 in New Waterford for the meeting with phone used to make the arrangements in his possession.
A pretrial was set Oct. 27 for Mark Robert Smith, 40, Foulks Drive, East Liverpool, charged with two counts of disorderly conduct for his alleged conduct in public on Sept 22 in St. Clair Township.
A pretrial was set Nov. 25 for Ethan Q. Stout, 21, state Route 172, Hanoverton, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly changing seats during a traffic stop when he was the driver on Sept. 28 in Salem and repeatedly lied to officers about being the driver.
A pretrial was set Nov. 23 for Charles D. Harrison, 29, Boardman Street, New Waterford, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly providing a false name and date of birth to officers when he was a passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop on Sept. 28 in Salem.
Bocephus James McElroy, 24, Newell, W.Va., was fined $500 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 89 days suspended and credit for one day served for criminal damaging and disorderly conduct, with 30 hours community service ordered. He was ordered to make restitution of $225 to East Liverpool Police Department. He was accused of yelling at a police officer, wanting to fight, and then kicking the door of the police cruiser, bending the door on Sept. 5. He had wrecked his bicycle while intoxicated and left East Liverpool City Hospital without being treated before the incident with police.
A pretrial was set Oct. 14 for Eric Scott McFarland, 47, state Route 7, Lisbon, charged with possession of drug abuse instrument for allegedly possessing a plastic bag with a clear rock substance and a used syringe during a traffic stop on Nov. 23, 2025 in St. Clair Township.
Teresa J. Flatt, 65, Butler, Pa., was fined $350 and given a suspended 30-day jail term for drug paraphernalia and driving under suspension, with 20 hours community service ordered. Flatt possessed suspected narcotics and drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop on Aug. 29 in Lisbon.
Tyler A. Bartley, 29, New Brighton, Pa., was fined $150 and given credit for one day served for drug paraphernalia for possessing a crack pipe in Wellsville on March 29, 2024.
A pretrial was set Nov. 18 for Melanie D. Pauline, 49, Van Buren Avenue, Salem, charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly being intoxicated and calling dispatch multiple times, including 911, because she was unable to sleep on Sept. 28 in Perry Township.
A pretrial was set Nov. 25 for Abigail Summer Witherow, 27, Alderlick Road, Wellsville, charged with endangering children/operating a vehicle, OVI, OVI-urine results and marked lanes for allegedly being impaired with her infant son in the vehicle on May 5 in St. Clair Township.
Seth Anthony Dillon Sr., 35, North Versailles, Pa., was fined $600 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 87 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for OVI, with 20 hours community service ordered. Charges of operating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and improper passing were dismissed. His license was suspended for one year, with driving privileges granted.