COUNTY COURT Austintown and Canfield

Robert Martin, 56, of Cumberland Drive, Austintown, pleaded innocent in Austintown court to obstructing official business, resisting arrest and driving under the influence.
Darryl Wem, 46, of state Route 46, Austintown, pleaded innocent in Austintown court to permitting drug abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also heard a charge of drug abuse. No plea was accepted, as the charge is a felony. Austintown police said they found two plastic bags containing suspected cocaine when they searched a car Wem was driving June 19.
Christina Donaldson, 29, of Main Street, Sharpsville, Pa., pleaded innocent in Austintown court to disorderly conduct and obstructing official business. Austintown police said Donaldson was intoxicated and that she refused to identify herself to officers June 19 in a bar parking lot. She also threatened to punch an officer in the face, police reports state.
Doug Klepfer, also known as K105 morning radio show host Doug James, 50, of Circleville Court, New Middletown, agreed to obtain a fishing license before his next court hearing July 26. Klepfer was cited for fishing without a license May 30 at Lake Milton by a game warden.
Richard Meshula Jr., 32, of Leffingwell Road, Berlin Center, and Anthony McBride, no age given, of Gadsden, Ala., pleaded guilty in Austintown court to reduced charges of petty theft. They both had been charged with complicity to commit breaking and entering. Austintown police Meshula matched the description of a man seen in a car that was broken into May 27 in an Eigen Street garage. After the break-in, police found Meshula and McBride ducking down in a car parked nearby. Meshula was ordered to pay $115 in fines and court costs and sentenced to 180 days in jail with 175 suspended and credit for five says served. He also was placed on probation for a year. McBride was ordered to pay $215 in fines and court costs and was also sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 165 days suspended and credit for 15 days served. He also was placed on probation for a year.
Nicholas Lawrence, 21, of Clyde Street, Poland, pleaded guilty in Austintown court to petty theft, criminal damaging, and criminal trespassing. Lawrence was spotted by police in the back of a car that had been broken into May 20 in a Westchester Drive parking lot. He ran from police and was later arrested. Lawrence was ordered to pay $255 in fines and court costs and $100 restitution and he was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 176 days suspended and 4 days credit for time served. He also was placed on probation for a year.
Casey Berick, 19, of Edinburgh Drive, Austintown, pleaded innocent to complicity to commit theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said Berick was standing nearby when officers spotted Lawrence in the car, and that Berick also ran from officers and was later arrested. William King, 22, of Milton Avenue, Youngstown, pleaded innocent in Austintown court to falsifying an allegation against a police officer. King told Austintown police in May that an officer had acted inappropriately when arresting him last March. The police internal affairs department later investigated the allegations and determined they were false.
Paul Tornero, 35, of New Philadelphia: Judge D'Apolito issued a warrant in Austintown court for him after he failed to appear for a hearing on obstructing official business and resisting arrest charges. Austintown police said Tornero ran from them in October after he was accused of forcing a woman into his truck. He was found later.
Salvador Velazquez Jr., 26, of South Osborne Avenue, Youngstown, pleaded guilty in Austintown court to resisting arrest and criminal trespassing. He had been charged with burglary, but the charge was reduced to criminal trespassing because of his plea. Velazquez went into a home in March on Dunbar Avenue in Austintown and ran from police. He was ordered to pay $230 in fines and court costs and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 29 days suspended and 31 days credit for time served. He also was placed on probation for two years.
William Pate, 28, of Alameda Avenue, pleaded innocent in Austintown court to carrying a concealed weapon and reckless operation. He also heard a charge of failure to comply. No plea was accepted, as the charge is a felony. Police said on May 10 they chased a speeding car driven by Pate through township streets and yards. Officer eventually blocked in Pate's car and arrested him.
John Hill, 36, of South Truesdale Avenue, Youngstown, pleaded guilty in Austintown court to theft. Hill entered a car in the parking lot of the Austintown Giant Eagle in April and took change over the objections of the driver. He was ordered to pay $115 in fines and court costs and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 60 suspended. He also was ordered not to have contact with Giant Eagle.
Steven Banks, 31, of East Kline Street, Girard, pleaded guilty in Austintown court to resisting arrest and trespassing. Banks struggled with Austintown police May 30 while being arrested at Wal-Mart. He had been warned to stay out of all area Wal-Marts because of past allegations of theft. Banks was ordered to pay $185 in fines and court costs and sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 70 days suspended and three days credit for time served. He also was placed on probation for a year and again ordered to stay out of Wal-Mart.
Mychaelann DeFrank-Cochran, 25, of Second Street, Youngstown, pleaded no contest in Canfield court and was found guilty of possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. Two additional counts of possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed in exchange for her plea. Canfield police said they searched DeFrank-Cochran's purse and the car she was driving after a traffic stop on May 30 and found marijuana cigarettes, rolling papers, a marijuana pipe, and a scale. There also was a baby in the car. DeFrank-Cochran was ordered to pay $285 in fines and court costs and her driver's license was suspended for 180 days. She also was placed on probation for a year.
Julius VanCobb, 19, of West Heights Avenue, a passenger in DeFrank-Cochran's car, also pleaded no contest in Canfield court and was found guilty of underage consumption. VanCobb told Canfield police he had beer with him in the back seat. He was ordered to pay $115 in fines and court costs and his driver's license also was suspended for 180 days. VanCobb also must complete 40 hours of community service.
Adrienne Palowitz, 19, of Overhill Road, Boardman, pleaded innocent in Canfield Court to obstructing official business, taking the identity of another, falsification, and underage consumption of alcohol. Canfield police said Palowitz told them she was another woman when questioned after an argument May 29 with Michael Kantaras, 25, of Franco Court, Boardman, in the Arby's parking lot on East Main Street. Police added that they learned Kantaras' driver's license was suspended, and he later pleaded innocent in Canfield court to violating limited driving privileges.
Alexander Perez, of Hudson, N.J., pleaded no contest in Canfield Court and was found guilty of driving under the influence. A charge of straddling lanes was dismissed in exchange for his plea. Perez was arrested by Canfield police for driving a tractor-trailer erratically in December, and that a Breathalyzer test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16. He was ordered to pay $315 in fines and court costs and given a 180-day suspended jail sentence.
Duane Ashford, 40, of Norwood Avenue, Youngstown, a passenger in the tractor-trailer driven by Perez, also pleaded no contest in Canfield court and was found guilty of two counts of possession of drugs. Police searched Ashford and found cocaine, a crack pipe, and a bottle of pills not prescribed to him. He was ordered to pay $235 in fines and court costs and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 56 days suspended and two days credit for time served. He also was placed on probation for a year.