Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- A Jefferson County grand jury returned 14 indictments Wednesday, among them a 37-year-old Dillonvale man ordered to stand trial for his wife's murder last month.
The grand jury returned a true bill charging Joshua T. Gamble, 180 Township Road 1308, with the Aug. 29 homicide of his wife Tina, 57, as well as tampering with evidence. Both are felonies.
The indictment alleges Gamble "did purposely cause (his wife's) death," and tried to destroy the evidence.
Investigators claim Gamble tried to wash the weapon they believe was used in the attack. Prosecutors say law enforcement had been "called to the Gamble house a number of times, there was a lot of domestic stuff" going on prior to the woman's death.
Others indicted were:
— Joseph T. Mitchell, 180 N. 4th St., Apt. 410, Steubenville, assaulting a police officer and vandalism, both felonies, and a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.
Prosecutors allege Mitchell, 27, bit a Steubenville police officer's hand while he was trying to take him into custody on Sept. 1, and once in the cruiser started kicking wildly, breaking the door frame and mounted cameras.
— Mahogany Ann Luke, 31, 459 S. 5th St., Steubenville, child endangerment, a felony.
Luke allegedly struck a 5-year-old in the face July 20 in Steubenville.
Prosecutors said when the child was brought to the police station to report the injury, he initially appeared to have been slapped, but a day or two later the wound was determined to be a burn from "a curling iron or hair straightener."
— Michael Hawthorne, 40, 107 Western Ave., Mingo Junction, burglary (trespassing in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present), a felony.
Authorities say Hawthorne, 40, was found sleeping in someone else's home July 19 and had thrown things "all over the yard." He allegedly admitted using drugs and claimed he thought he was in his own house, prosecutors said.
— Kristopher Michael Williamson, 29, 2710 County Road 11, Dillonvale, felonious assault.
Williamson allegedly pulled a knife out and "sliced another man several times" in the face after accusing him of stealing $20 from a bag that belonged to him July 27 in Dillonvale. The other man told police he didn't even know Williamson had a bag, prosecutors said.
— Named in two separate felony indictments was James Seth Alan Blackwell, 43, 711 Oakmont Ave, Steubenville, each charging him with failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. He also faces a single count of retaliation.
Prosecutors allege a city police officer had spotted Blackwell on a motorcycle June 21 and, realizing there was a warrant for his arrest, signaled him to pull over but he fled instead. Police chased him briefly but suspended the pursuit because of the risk to other motorists, they said.
On July 11, the same police officer spotted Blackwell again, this time in a truck. Prosecutors said he fled through the downtown area, eventually making a left onto Tweed Avenue where his truck stalled and he was taken into custody. Police allege he was uncooperative when they took him into custody and repeatedly threatened harm to the arresting officer.
— Donald L. Eilander, 403 Union Ave., Steubenville, having weapons under disability, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, aggravated possession of drugs and two counts of tampering with evidence, all of them felonies.
The indictment alleges Eilander, 37, had a loaded Baretta in his car when he was pulled over on a traffic stop June 20 in Steubenville, despite being barred from having guns by a 2008 felony drug possession conviction in Utah; that he had methamphetaime in his possession when he was pulled over and then tried to jettison the drugs; and that he tried to hide the Baretta from police.
The arresting officer reported smelling marijuana and had Eilander exit the vehicle. Prosecutors allege that while that officer was talking to Eilander, a passenger with physical disabilities in the back seat told another officer Eilander had handed him the gun and told him to hide it. They said the arresting officer also reported hearing something hit the ground, and when he checked the car's surveillance cameras allegedly spotted Eilander tossing the vial of meth on the ground.
— Samuel G. Orbin, 32, of Sarver, PA, two felony counts of vandalism May 28 in Steubenville.
Orbin allegedly pulled an exit sign off the wall at Sleep Inn & Suites, then trashed a guest room, prosecutors said. Damage done was in excess of $1,000, authorities said.
— Jeremy Christian Blue, 2060 Eve Drive, Steubenville, a two-count felony indictment charging he possessed and trafficked in cocaine.
The indictment alleges Blue, 25, had cocaine, a controlled substance, in his possession in Mingo Junction July 30 and that he "did knowingly sell or offer to sell" it.
— Mark Anthony Smith II, 21, Trotwood, OH, two counts of illegal processing of drug documents, June 17. Smith allegedly submitted forged prescriptions for codeine at A&B Pharmacy, Steubenville, and Krogers in Wintersville, then called the stores repeatedly to "make sure they were being filled," police had said. He was taken into custody when he tried to pick up the medication, a controlled substance.
Also indicted were Juwan Sebastian Williams, 25, 466 S. 6th St., Steubenville, Jeremy D. Alderson, 41, 531 Cedar Ave., Steubenville, and Creshawn Chris Tyler, 28, 450 S. 5th St., Steubenville.
Authorities say the three were taken into custody when police raided a house where two controlled buys had been made and allegedly found guns and drugs inside.
— Williams was named in a two-count felony indictment charging him with possession of drugs, cocaine and fentanyl, on June 30 in Steubenville.
— Alderson and Tyler were named in separate indictments charging each of them with two counts of having weapons while under disability, an American Tactical Milsport firearm with a drug magazine and a loaded Smith & Wesson, also June 30 in Steubenville.
Alderson is prohibited from having or using guns because of a prior conviction in Cook County, Ill., on a felony drug charge, while Tyler was under the same prohibition while he was already under indictment in Jefferson County on felony charges.
Tyler was indicted in 2021 on charges of complicity to felonious assault with a firearm specification, possessing drugs and tampering with evidence.