Of the 1,056 criminal cases handled in 2023, Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova singles out three as among the most notable convictions in her department’s Annual Report.

Although the report notes that last year state and local statistics showed violent crime was down, the number of criminal cases rose.

One of those cases prosecuted in 2023 was that of Samuel Byrd, who was convicted for the murder of 29-year-old Keimone Black.

On June 15, 2022, Black was sitting in a vehicle at a gas station on South Avenue between Dickson Street and Samuel Avenue when Byrd walked up to the passenger’s window and fired several shots.

Two of those gunshots hit Black in the chest, one in the abdomen, and one in the hip.  Black died from his injuries.

In addition to security video from a nearby house that showed the car parked on Dickson Street before the shooting, police found a cigarette that matched Byrd’s DNA.

Another case prosecuted was that of Steve Green, who was convicted for the August 8, 2021, murder of 25-year-old Ashley Lockhart.

In 2020, investigators say Green began stalking and threatening Lockhart, who was his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child.

On August 8, 2021, Green threatened to kill Lockhart unless she had sex with him. Believing that he would follow through with his threats, Lockhart complied.

After leaving Green’s home, prosecutors say Green followed her and shot her six times at a Compass West apartment. Lockhart died from her injuries.

Green was convicted of aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, domestic violence, rape, and extortion. In addition to being sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, Green was classified as a Tier III sex offender.

A third case, that of Jerome Miller, brought a conviction on multiple drug charges that included possession of more than 1,800 grams of cocaine.

Invested by the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force beginning in 2021, a jury found Jerome Miller guilty of possession of cocaine, which included a Major Drug Offender Specification, which resulted in a prison sentence of 20 to 25 and a half years.

Miller was also convicted of possession of a fentanyl-related compound, aggravated possession of drugs, three counts of trafficking in cocaine, and three counts of trafficking a fentanyl-related compound.

In addition to the criminal cases, 2,859 misdemeanor cases and 12,910 traffic cases were prosecuted last year.

The prosecutor's Annual Report is available on this link: