Crime lab director’s son, 2 others named as suspects after drug raids

Three people are named as suspects in an indoor marijuana grow investigation, including the son of a Montgomery County official. Officers served four search warrants Monday in connection to the investigation.

  • Thomas Betz, the son of Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab Director Ken Betz, is one suspect
  • Melanie Betz and Michael Dorley also are suspects
  • Warrants were served at four homes in the region
    • 300 block of Kling Drive in Dayton
    • 5700 block of Woodville Drive in Harrison Twp.
    • 1918 Valley Street in Dayton at TB Livery, Inc.
    • 0-100 block West Waterbury Drive in Springboro

>>RELATED:  Tom Betz once declared bankruptcy

UPDATE @7:23 a.m. 5/16

Melanie and Thomas Betz have not been booked into jail as of Tuesday morning.

We’re continuing to gather details on this developing story.

UPDATE @ 3:40 p.m. 5/15:

One of three suspects in an alleged indoor marijuana grow investigation is booked into the Kettering City Jail.

Michael Dorley, 40, was arrested on charges of possession of drugs and cultivating/manufacturing marijuana, according to jail records.

Officers raided a property owned by Dorely in the 300 block of Kling Drive in Dayton today, police said.

Two others, Thomas Betz and Melanie Betz, are not in custody, according to jail records.

>>Miami Valley’s Most Wanted: Can you help police find a wanted person?

UPDATE@2:30 p.m:

Three law enforcement agencies executed four search warrants, including three in Dayton and one in Springboro, Monday as part of an indoor marijuana grow investigation, according to a press release.

The suspects in the investigation are Thomas Betz, Melanie Betz and Michael Dorley. Charges against the trio are pending, the release said.

The Tactical Crime Suppression Unit (TCSU), along with the assistance of Montgomery County R.A.N.G.E. Task Force and the Warren County Drug Task Force executed the warrants, according to the release.

There other information was available. But we have several reporters working on the story, and we’ll continue to update you as more information becomes available.

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UPDATE@2:15 p.m.:

Officials also raided a home in the 5700 block of Woodville Drive in Harrison Twp., that’s reportedly connected to Betz.

William Kirk, a neighbor we spoke to said between 12 and 24 heavily armed police officers were on the scene. The were in standard SWAT, he said.

To his knowledge, no one was home at the time of the raid, Kirk said, noting that Tom Betz does not live in the home.

However, Kirk said the resident has told him he has a business in Springboro. Kirk does not know that person’s name, he said.

The person that lived at the home was not Tom Betz, but someone else.

He didn't know the resident’s name and he’s hardly home, Kirk said.

UPDATE @ 12:09 p.m.:

Kettering police assisted with a search at a business at 1918 Valley St. this morning. One of the businesses in that location is TB Livery, Inc., which belongs to Tom Betz, according to the Better Business Bureau.

In 2002, Tom Betz filed for bankruptcy related to gambling debts.

Read more about our reporting on that here. 

The search was led by the Tactical Crime Suppression Unit, Kettering police said.

The Tactical Crime Suppression Unit is a multi-jurisdictional unit comprised of eight departments and provides service in the areas of joint criminal investigations, crime analysis, polygraph services, special response teams, technical equipment, training and emergency management, police said.

The TCSU includes departments from Centerville, Germantown, Kettering, Miamisburg, Moraine, Oakwood, Springboro and West Carrollton.

UPDATE@12:03 p.m.:

We reached Tom Betz by phone and  he declined to comment about the raid on his home.

UPDATE @ 11:40 a.m.

A Task Force this morning raided the Springboro home of the son of the director of the Miami Valley Crime Lab in Dayton.

A Springboro police cruiser and an unmarked vehicle remained at the property on West Waterbury Drive late this morning.

We’re told the home is that of Tom Betz, the son of Ken Betz, director of the Miami Valley Crime Lab in Dayton.

The homeowner on record with the Warren County Auditor’s Office is Melanie J. Betz, who acquired the property in October 2013.

A Warren County drug task force official has declined comment on the investigation at this point.

A man working in the neighborhood tells our crew at the scene that agents were there about 6:30 a.m. and started clearing out by mid-morning.

Springboro police tell us they were there only to assist the drug task force’s search and investigation.

We’re working to gather more details about the investigation.

EARLIER

Springboro police and a drug task force served a search warrant this morning at the son of the Miami Valley Crime Lab’s director home, according to our partners at WCPO-TV.

Officers responded to the house of Tom Betz on West Waterbury Drive Springboro.

Tom Betz’s father, Ken Betz, is the director of the Miami Valley Crime Lab in Dayton.

WCPO reported that officers seized multiple bags of evidence.

When contacted, Ken Betz said he was unaware of the raid and said “no comment.”

We’re working to learn more about what police may have been looking for.

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