Local

Warren man gets 24 months on felonious assault charge

By Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office
Scales of justice and a gavel in a courtroom
scales of justice (Getty Images)

The following cases were handled Wednesday before Judge Sean O’Brien of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court:

  • Scott C. Dowell, Jr., 24, of Hamilton Street SW, was given a prison sentence of 24 months after he pleaded guilty to a felonious assault charge on Dec. 20, 2023. Dowell was charged by Niles police after a report on Aug. 9, 2023, stated a 21-year-old female reported being pistol whipped by a man who was visiting her home in the 700 block of Mason Street in Niles. The woman was treated for a deep cut over the eye Officers investigating found a 9mm round in the floor of the home, but the weapon was not recovered, prosecutors said. As part of a plea deal, a firearm specification against Dowell was dismissed.
  • Michael R. Lauer, 72, of Arthur Drive NW, Warren, pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree aggravated vehicular assault felonies and two counts of OVI misdemeanors. Lauer, who faces mandatory prison time, will be sentenced after he undergoes a background investigation conducted by probation officers. Lauer was involved in a traffic crash on May 23, 2023, that was investigated by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in front of Jamestown Village Plaza in northwest Warren. Two victims in the vehicle that Lauer’s vehicle struck were injured, and prosecutors stated Lauer was monitored on a breathalyzer with a .106 blood-alcohol content, which exceeded the legal limit for driving in Ohio.
  • Ronald J. Berry Jr., 36, of Washington Avenue, Girard, pleaded guilty to a third-degree failure to comply with order or signal of police officer felony. Berry faces upt to three-years in prison and will be sentenced after undergoing a background investigation conducted by the probation department. The case involved a police chase July 28, 2023, through residential neighborhoods in Liberty Township, with speeds in excess of 110 mph, according to prosecutors. A 9 mm Smith & Wesson MP Shield firearm was found in Berry’s vehicle and as part of the plea deal, the defendant agreed to forfeit the weapon.
Read Next

Sign up for Mahoning Matters newsletters


Keep up with our daily Mahoning Matters news coverage of the Mahoning Valley, Ohio, Pennsylvania, the U.S. and world. Sign up here for our newsletters.

Donate to our Journalism Impact Fund


In collaboration with the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, we've created the Mahoning Matters Journalism Impact Fund – an innovative and community-centered approach to funding local journalism. To make a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation to the Mahoning Matters Journalism Impact Fund visit CFMV’s donation page.