Pavlik pleads not guilty to three charges

Staff report

Canfield

Former middleweight boxing champion Kelly Pavlik avoided court Friday by having his attorney file a written plea of not guilty.

Pavlik, 29, was charged Wednesday with operating a vehicle while impaired, failure to control and leaving the scene of an accident.

The incident began when a homeowner in the 3900 block of Sugarbush Drive called police to report that two men on all-terrain vehicles had hit a lamp post and telephone pole in his yard and driven away.

The owner of the home identified Pavlik as one of the men.

Pavlik was scheduled to appear Friday morning for arraignment in Mahoning County Area Court in Canfield. But his attorney, Damian Billak, filed a notice of appearance — allowing Pavlik to waive his right to show up in court.

His pretrial hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 13.

Pavlik spent a brief time in the Mahoning County jail on the three misdemeanor charges after he was arrested Wednesday night at his Sugarbush Drive home in Canfield.

Police say Pavlik and his friend Daniel Ferreri wrecked two ATVs on a neighboring piece of property, destroying a lamp post and causing other damage.

Ferreri also was charged with obstruction of official business. He will be arraigned in the Canfield court Jan. 4.