Man accused of crating son appears in court

Man accused of crating
son appears in court

BOARDMAN — A Sylvia Lane man accused of placing his son in an animal crate remains in the Mahoning County Jail.

Bond is set for $8,000 for Joseph J. Mullarkey Jr., 39, who is a veterinarian. Mullarkey, who told the court that he is indigent, appeared Tuesday in Mahoning County Area Court here.

A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 8.

Mullarkey is charged with felony child endangering. He is accused of placing his 4-year-old son in a dog crate as punishment.

The boy’s mother, who reported the late November incident to police, returned home that day to find the boy locked in the crate, sleeping in urine soaked clothing.

Ex-car dealer pleads
innocent in records case

YOUNGSTOWN — A defendant in an alleged automobile dealing fraud scheme was released on his own recognizance after pleading innocent at his arraignment Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. A county grand jury indicted Gregory A. Harvey, 36, of South East River Road, Berlin Center, Thursday on 27 theft counts, one count of tampering with records and 12 title offenses. His brother, Buddy Harvey, 41, also of Berlin Center, who was indicted on 43 theft counts, 15 title offenses, three records tampering counts and one count each of defrauding creditors and passing bad checks, will be arraigned at 9 a.m. Dec. 18. The indictment pertains to alleged offenses at the former Harv’s Cars dealership, which operated in Boardman and earlier in Canfield.

Volunteers needed

NEW MIDDLETOWN — Volunteers are needed to help pack baskets for the Springfield Christmas Basket Project at 6 p.m. Dec. 21 in the cafeteria of Springfield Local High School, Mayor Robert Carson said. Volunteers are also needed to help with deliveries on the morning of Dec. 22.

Columbiana Co. sheriff’s trial is rescheduled

CAMBRIDGE — The jury trial for Columbiana County Sheriff David L. Smith, accused of drunken driving, has been rescheduled to 9 a.m. Feb. 21 in Cambridge Municipal Court.

Smith was charged after he was stopped in Guernsey County late Oct. 11. He was allegedly speeding and swerving in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70.  He was reportedly driving a Columbiana County-owned automobile and returning home from a Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association dinner. The Ohio State Highway Patrol crime lab test yielded a blood alcohol content of 0.222.

The court placed Smith under an administrative license suspension, but granted him driving privileges for work-related activities. Smith’s trial was originally scheduled for Jan. 17, but was pushed back to allow time for a hearing seeking to get the lab test results thrown out.

Mercer DUI patrol

MERCER, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Police in Mercer, conducting a patrol for drunken drivers, resulted in two DUI arrests. Police did the patrol Friday and Saturday evenings throughout Mercer County. They also issued eight traffic citations and four written warnings. The roving patrol was part of the Pennsylvania State Police Checkpoint Strike Force Initiative which is designed to reduce alcohol related traffic crashes through the use of sobriety checkpoints across the state each week.

Bad check gets
man jail sentence

MERCER, Pa. — Joshua Devereaux, 24, of State Road Northwest, Champion, Ohio, has been sentenced to three to 24 months in jail for bad checks, a misdemeanor. Mercer County Common Pleas Court documents state that on Feb. 1, 2006, Devereaux wrote a $100,000 check as down payment on his purchase of a home in Hermitage. The check was returned for insufficient funds.