Cleveland, OH
Mother sues private Northeast Ohio prison over son’s fentanyl overdose death

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The mother of a man who died of a fentanyl overdose in a private prison in Northeast Ohio has sued over her son’s 2023 death.
Bonnie Billings of Canton accused officials at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center of negligence and failing to provide a safe environment after Montel A. William’s death.
She named the prison’s warden and its parent company, CoreCivic, as defendants in the lawsuit filed earlier this month in federal court in Youngstown.
CoreCivic spokesman Brian Todd said the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation. He said that safety is a top-priority for the company and that it has a zero-tolerance policy against drugs or other contraband getting into the prison.
“Contraband is a nationwide challenge for all corrections systems, both public and private,” Todd said in a statement. “We work as one team with our government partners, and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies on investigative and intervention efforts to remove, detect and prevent the introduction of contraband at all of our facilities, including NEOCC.”
The prison typically holds some 1,500 federal pretrial detainees and inmates serving state prison sentences.
The lawsuit said someone smuggled drugs into the prison and that Williams, 30, died from either purposefully or unintentionally ingesting the drug Oct. 31, 2023.
It said the death happened because of the prison’s “lax care policies and failure to exercise due care.”
Williams was serving a four-year, six-month sentence on a felonious assault conviction in Stark County at the time he died.
It’s the latest in a string of lawsuits against the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center. The lawsuits include accusations by employees who were attacked by inmates and that prison employees failed to get medical help for a man who was stabbed several times.
Federal prosecutors in recent years have also charged two guards, a nurse and members of a violent street gang with smuggling items, including drugs, inside the lockup.
Adam Ferrise covers federal courts at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. You can find his work here.

Cleveland, OH
James L Sumiejski Obituary – Mentor, OH

James L. Sumiejski
OBITUARY
James L. Sumiejski, 72 of Mentor, passed away Sunday, May 4, 2025 at David Simpson Hospice House in Cleveland. He was born January 29, 1953 in Milwaukee, WI.Jim was a Driveline Technology Manager at Lubrizol Corporation in Wickliffe, OH.He was a longtime member of Celebration Lutheran Church in Chardon, OH. He enjoyed traveling to the national parks, golf, watching baseball, computer games and coin collecting.Survivors include his wife of 41 years: Elizabeth “Liz” (Jarrett) Sumiejski; children: Laura (Tristan) Halvorson and Bradley Sumiejski; granddaughters: Sophie and Thea Halvorson, and sisters: Carol (Ken) Kern and Patricia “Patti” (Michael) Kummerow.Preceding James in death are his parents: Lee and Mary Ann Sumiejski and brother: Richard “Rick” (Jane) Sumiejski.A celebration of Jim’s life will be held from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2025, followed by a service at 2:00 pm at Celebration Lutheran Church, 10621 Auburn Rd., Chardon, OH 44024.The family requests contributions be made to Hospice of the Western Reserve, P.O. Box 72101, Cleveland, OH 44192 or donate online at www.hospicewr.orgArrangements Entrusted to Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060.Offer condolences at www.brunners.com
Cleveland, OH
Denis Jonke Obituary – Cleveland, OH (1943-2025)

Denis Jonke
OBITUARY
Denis C. Jonke, age 82 of Mentor, OH, passed away on May 6, 2025 at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus. He was born on March 15, 1943 in Cleveland, OH. Denis was a successful co-owner of JP Products and Four Star Machine with his brothers. He was a parishioner at St. Mary of the Assumption in Mentor and volunteered at St. Pat’s Church in Cleveland, feeding the homeless for the last several years. Denis was a loving and cherished husband, father, grandfather (G-Pa) and brother who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was a 1961 graduate of St. Joseph High School. He served in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He was an avid Indians fan, loved going to the Casino’s, enjoyed Windjammers, snorkeling, fishing, and gardening. He also cherished spending time with his family and watching his grandchildren’s sporting events. He is survived by his daughters, Kim Jonke and Dr. Kristina (Brady) Carpenter; grandchildren, Brenden and Krista Carpenter; brothers, Carl Jonke and the late Paul (Sue, living) Jonke; many nieces and nephews and other loving family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alaine (nee Arnold) Jonke; parents, Carl and Agnes Jonke. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m., on Monday, May 19, 2025 at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 8560 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. Prayers will be at 9:20 a.m., at the funeral home. The family will receive friends from 3 – 6 p.m., on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060.Interment will be in All Souls Cemetery, Chardon, OH.In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, online at www.heart.org/en/affiliates/ohio or to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; online at www.stjude.org/Send flowers and offer condolences at: www.brunners.com.
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Cavaliers Team Info and News

05/10/2025, 5:12 AM
Solid showing in Game 3 victory
Allen recorded a double-double for the fourth time over his last five playoff appearances, and the star big man continues to make a sizable impact on both ends of the court for Cleveland. With five double-doubles in seven playoff outings so far, Allen’s two-way play will be huge for the Cavaliers in their quest to even the series Sunday.
05/10/2025, 5:11 AM
Massive stat line in Game 3
Mobley was deemed a game-time call for Friday’s game due to a left ankle sprain, an injury that prevented him from suiting up in Game 2 of the series, but the big man made his return and made his presence felt on both ends of the court. This was his second consecutive double-double in the series, and Mobley’s contributions were massive from a fantasy perspective since he recorded at least three tallies in each of the five major categories. Perhaps more importantly, Mobley didn’t show any ill effects of the ankle injury, and unless he suffers a setback over the weekend, he should be ready to go for Game 4 on Sunday.
05/10/2025, 5:09 AM
Surpasses 40-point mark again
Mitchell surpassed the 40-point mark for the second game in a row, but unlike Tuesday, this time the Cavaliers pulled out the win thanks to a dominant effort on both ends of the court. Mitchell turned it up late in the game and made a couple of key shots down the stretch when the Pacers were threatening to make a comeback. Mitchell is averaging 41.3 points per game in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He should have a key role for the Cavaliers as they attempt to even the series Sunday on the road.
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