STEUBENVILLE — A Jefferson County grand jury returned nine true bills Wednesday, among them a man who allegedly sent a child to school with a backpack filled with his drugs and another who pirated water from a neighbor’s residence.

Corey T’Bren Rice, 1175 county Road 28, Townhouse 3, Wintersville, was indicted on a felony charge of possession of heroin, and misdemeanor possession of cocaine and child endangerment.

Rice, 34, allegedly sent a 5-year-old to school with the wrong backpack in November 2020, once it was opened school personnel discovered a bag full of illicit drugs, and by the time he realized his mistake and went to the school demanding his bag the school had already realized what was in it. Authorities said Rice fled the area, and detectives had to go to Columbus, Miss., to bring him back.

Grand jurors also indicted Thomas J. Chaney, 1923 Columbia Ave., Steubenville, on two counts of theft and three counts of vandalism, all felonies.

Chaney, 52, allegedly connected his water line to a neighbor’s property in December 2020 to avoid being charged, authorities said.

He allegedly deprived the city of Steubenville of more than $2,000 it should have been paid for the water during a four-month period. The five-count indictment charges Chaney purposefully deprived the city of property or services, and that he damaged the lines when he redirected them to his property.

Others indicted were:

— Roneal Edward Buford, 29, 815 N. Sixth St., Apt. 508, Steubenville, failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, having weapons while under disability and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.

City police had reported Buford was travelling at speeds in excess of 65 mph when he failed to navigate a turn in the 1000 block of Adams Street on Aug. 13, striking the hillside. Authorities allege Buford “tried to flee through the sun roof of the car,” leaving behind a gun that was on the floorboard of the car “underneath where he’d been sitting.”

Prosecutors also want Buford to forfeit the gun.

— Quentin A. Hill, 426 Dock St., Steubenville, felonious assault, having weapons while under disability with a specification, tampering with evidence and carrying a concealed weapon, all felonies.

The indictment charges Hill, 19, was involved in a shoot-out in LaBelle on Dec. 6. Authorities allege Hill and a companion, juveniles at the time, fired at a car and the occupants returned fire. Hill, who had a prior juvenile conviction for robbery, was prohibited from having or possessing guns. They claimed Hill tried to get rid of evidence and had a firearm, either loaded or with ammunition “ready at hand.”

In February, Hill was indicted on two counts of having weapons while under disability, two counts improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property, possession of drugs, all felonies, plus a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. According to that indictment, Hill was in the backseat of a car with an AK-47 and a Glock when the vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation in downtown Steubenville.

— Matthew Joseph Allietta Jr., 28, 112 Vireo Drive, Wintersville, felonious assault.

Allietta allegedly struck a family member in the eye with a hose nozzle on Sept. 19, blackening her eye and causing her face to swell, deputies had said. He denied the allegations, telling deputies the individual “has been falling more recently.”

— Brian Fazsuan Jones, 30, 1416 Ridge Ave., Steubenville, having weapons under disability and possession a defaced firearm, a felony.

The indictment alleges Jones had a gun with altered identification markings when he was taken into custody Aug. 15 in Steubenville. Authorities said Jones, convicted of felony possession of cocaine in February, is prohibited from having or using guns.

— Kevin Xavier Bishop, 21, 317 Henry Ave., Steubenville, having a weapon while under disability and tampering with evidence.

Bishop allegedly tried to flee from police, who chased him on foot and in cruisers from a property on Ridge Avenue at South Bend Boulevard. Authorities claim Bishop tried to get rid of a handgun during the chase.

— Aaron D. Hill, 47, 1426 Pennsylvania Ave., Steubenville, trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, a felony.

Authorities allege Hill sold or offered to sell the illicit substance to an informant in June.

— Mahogany Ann Luke, 31, 459 S. Fifth St., Steubenville, superceding indictment charging her with endangering a child in July. Authorities said the original indictment, returned in September, was updated to redact the identity of the child.