Two felony cases involving drugs and reckless driving heard in Trumbull County court

The Trumbull County Common Pleas Court heard two felony cases before Judge Ronald J. Rice on July 2.

Car crash on Elm Road

Anthony Rice, 30, of East Kline Street, Girard, pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony of failure to comply with signal or order of a police officer.

Rice, who could face between 9 and 36 months in prison as well as a three-year to potential lifetime suspension of his driver’s license, will be sentenced after he undergoes a background investigation. The case involves a March 28, 2024, incident at the Warren bypass and Elm Road interchange where Rice was driving a vehicle with expired plates.

Bazetta Township police attempted to stop the vehicle, prosecutors stated, but Rice ignored their orders and fled the scene in his Blue Jeep Cherokee going eastbound on the bypass heading east on Route 82 in Vienna to the Route 193 interchange where he exited southbound.

The vehicle eventually rolled over after hitting spikes at Route 193 and Excellence Drive, reports states, with both occupants of the Cherokee being injured.

A plea deal reached by both attorneys called for Rice to serve 18 months in prison, but Judge Rice said he wants to take a look at Rice’s criminal background before rendering the final sentence.

Drug possession

Two defendants were given over to the Northeast Ohio Community Alternative Program, which Judge Rice calls the last stop before prison, to undergo rehabilitation.

The two, Jennifer Perrot, age 52, of Illinois Avenue, Girard, and Devin Grossbeck, 30, of Northwest Boulevard NW, Warren, earlier had pleaded guilty to fifth-degree drug possession charges.

After completing the four- to six-month in-house program, both will have to comply with basic terms of probation.

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