Common Pleas

New Cases

U.S. Bank National Association, Independence, vs. Jennifer Reed, Charlton Drive, Lisbon; collection sought of alleged $8,338 debt.

Salem Community Hospital doing business as Salem Regional Medical Center, East State Street, Salem, vs. Dean Davis, Lisbon Canfield Road, Leetonia; collection sought of alleged $15,737 debt.

Docket Entries

Lakeview Loan Servicing, LLC vs. Patrick Murphy, et al.; foreclosure case reactivated.

County Treasurer vs. Lynetta Herold, et al.; defendant TotalEnergies E&P USA Inc. dismissed from case.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Three defendants were served recently with secret indictments issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for drug charges, including:

— Joey-Lynn Corfee, 35, Rose Drive, Lisbon, possession of fentanyl-related compound for allegedly possessing fentanyl on May 21, 2023.

— Samantha Ward, 38, North Shadylane Drive, East Liverpool, possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing cocaine on Nov. 24, 2022.

— Louis Hebert Jr., 39, Youngstown, possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony for allegedly possessing cocaine on Feb. 3, 2022.

Court News

LISBON — A Lisbon man accused of possessing child pornography entered a guilty plea recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to a lesser number of counts.

Jon Carl Nelder, 43, Saltwell Road, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, a fourth-degree felony, and a single count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

Nelder was originally indicted for 50 pandering counts, so 32 counts will be dismissed.

Nelder was accused of hiding a cell phone under the couch while the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force was executing a search warrant regarding possession of child pornography at his residence on Dec. 7, 2023. The cell phone contained images of child pornography.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Michael Conzett, 27, Rigby Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with credit for three days served, for endangering children, a third-degree felony. A charge of assault was dismissed. The indictment alleged that he created a risk of harm or safety to a then 3-year-old child by violating a duty of care, protection and support on March 28, 2023.

— Ka’Lyon Malieck May, 24, New Castle, Pa., was sentenced to nine months in prison after pleading guilty to fourth-degree felony pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, fifth-degree felony illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance and misdemeanors of engaging in prostitution, obstructing official business and possessing criminal tools. May received credit for 84 days served and was designated a Tier II sex offender required to register his address with the sheriff’s office. May possessed videos depicting minor children in a state of nudity on his cell phone on Dec. 15 in East Palestine. He had traveled there for a sex-for-hire arrangement after responding to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and arranging for sexual activity with a female in exchange for $140.

— Larry E. Smith, 40, New Castle, Pa., was sentenced to nine months in prison for fourth-degree felony attempted compelling prostitution, amended from third-degree felony compelling prostitution, and fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He was designated a Tier II sex offender required to register his address with the sheriff’s office. Charges of importuning and possessing criminal tools were dismissed. Smith was accused of answering an undercover ad posted on a known prostitution website of an adult female and 15-year-old female and soliciting sexual conduct with the juvenile in exchange for $140, arriving in East Palestine on March 4, 2023 for the meeting.

— Shawn Peterson, 39, Hammondsville, pleaded guilty to drug charges in two separate indictments for third-degree felonies of aggravated trafficking in drugs and two counts of aggravated possession of drugs and fifth-degree felony possession of drugs, along with specifications for forfeiture of money from a drug case. Sentencing was set for Dec. 2. Another charge of trafficking in drugs will be dismissed. Peterson prepared for sale and possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on March 20, 2023 and possessed the same amount of methamphetamine on Dec. 16, 2022. He also possessed $10,300.

— Cody Johns, 28, Hubbard, was placed under community control for three years, but ordered to spend up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Wintersville, for attempted aggravated possession of drugs, a fourth-degree felony, and possession of fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony. Charges of aggravated trafficking in drugs, drug paraphernalia and possession of drug abuse instruments were being dismissed. The charges stemmed from March 10, 2022 when Johns possessed fentanyl and methamphetamine.

— Douglas Barnes, 43, Ravine Street, East Liverpool, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, misdemeanor illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia and a lesser offense of third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs (previously a second-degree felony) from a separate indictment. He was also given two mandatory $5,000 fines for a total of $10,000. The sentence for one indictment for possession and drug paraphernalia was 18 months, but it was ordered served consecutive to the other indictment which had a sentence of 24 month, bringing the total prison time to 42 months.A charge of aggravated trafficking in drugs was being dismissed. Barnes possessed methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk on Sept. 9, 2022 and again on Sept. 22, 2022 along with drug paraphernalia.

— Duane Barnes, 54, East Third Street, Salem, was sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 11 days suspended, leaving a balance of 19 days still to serve for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing methamphetamine on Sept. 15, 2022.

— Charles Wellman, 49, West Fourth Street, Salem, was ordered to spend 90 days in the county jail, with credit for 22 days served, leaving a balance of 68 days to still serve in the county jail for violating his probation for domestic violence. His community control was dishonorably terminated. He had previously been charged with a felony, but entered a plea to a lesser charge, a misdemeanor, for scratching a woman during a physical altercation over her cell phone on May 24, 2023 in Salem.

— Joni McDole, 31, Maplewood Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing cocaine on June 16, 2022. Sentencing was set for Oct. 15.

— Mark Holmes, 60, Prospect, Pa., was placed under community control for three years, but ordered to serve 30 days in the county jail for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. He received credit for one day served, leaving a balance of 29 days still to serve in jail. He possessed cocaine on April 10, 2022.

— Rodney Hosfelt, 59, Austintown, was placed on an intervention plan for 18 months after pleading guilty to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, of possessing methamphetamine on Sept. 8, 2023.

Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, cases against Samantha Jo Ward, 38, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, were bound over to the county grand jury for third-degree felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanors of endangering children/operating vehicle, resisting arrest, obstructing official business, operating a vehicle impaired first offense, and driving under suspension. Dismissed were charges of booster seat violation, annual registration expired, expired license and no seat belt. She was also fined $180 for driving under suspension and expired plates.

During a traffic stop on Aug. 5 in Lisbon, Ward allegedly attempted to carry a small silver box out of her vehicle after being told to leave all items in the vehicle, she then re-entered the vehicle before exiting the vehicle again. While Lisbon police attempted to handcuff her, she threw the box into a grassy area and police found it contained suspected narcotics. She continued trying to enter the vehicle and resisted. The endangering children charge stemmed from three children being in the vehicle while she was driving under the influence. Two of the traffic charges, driving under suspension and expired plate, stemmed from a traffic stop in Lisbon on July 23.

A pretrial was set Sept. 30 for Lorie Harmon, 52, Lisbon Street, Wellsville, charged with domestic violence for allegedly causing or attempting to cause physical harm to another woman on Sept. 1 in Wellsville, choking her, shoving her into a door and hitting her in the hand. She also allegedly grabbed the victim by the hands several weeks ago, causing a lesion on her wrist.

Gloria Sosack, 37, Boring Lane, East Liverpool, was fined $900 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended and credit for 10 days served, leaving a balance of 20 days still to serve in jail for aggravated menacing, two counts criminal damaging and two counts theft, with one theft amended from a fourth-degree felony burglary charge. She was ordered to complete 20 hours community service and have no contact with a victim. Sosack was accused of walking into an East Liverpool residence without permission and stealing two glass lamp shades that were later found busted into pieces outside the property on Aug. 8. On July 24, she allegedly caused at least $5,000 worth of damage to several items, including a gaming computer at an East Liverpool residence. She also threatened to hit a victim with a baseball bat. Sosack recently allegedly stole two items valued at $32 and hid them in her book bag at the East Liverpool Giant Eagle, with video footage showing the thefts.

Michael Dunlap, 47, West School Road, East Rochester, was sentenced to 20 days in jail and ordered to pay court costs for receiving stolen property for possessing a stolen ashtray on July 16 from the East Rochester home where he had been housesitting. The jail time was ordered served consecutive to the 30 days he received for violating his probation for a 2023 OVI case, bringing his total jail time to 50 days.

A pretrial was set Jan. 7 for Dylan Bredeck, 22, Park Way, East Liverpool, charged with a tail light offense, drug paraphernalia and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle. During a traffic stop on Sept. 14 in East Liverpool, he had a handgun allegedly concealed in his waistband and possessed a glass tube with burnt white residue under the driver seat with an empty handgun magazine with loose 9 mm rounds in the vehicle.

A pretrial was set Dec. 2 for Jordan Scheller, 23, South Elm Street, Columbiana, charged with OVI first offense, reasonable and marked lanes.

Perry Ross II, 29, West Fourth Street, East Liverpool, was fined $150 for no license, reasonable control and an equipment violation.

Randolph Jeter, 36, Youngstown, was fined $200 for driving under suspension.

Brandi Raulerson, 36, Newell, W.Va., was fined $250 for driving under suspension, reasonable control and unsafe vehicle.