Editor’s Note: This is a developing situation, and this story will be updated as more information becomes available.
A SWAT team was seen raiding 215 S. College Ave. in the early afternoon on Friday, May 8.
The house is named “Dirty South.” Neighbors told The Student that some of the residents were members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and The Student saw a Pi Kappa Phi fraternity cooler on the porch. The fraternity’s national headquarters has not responded for comment at this time.
Seven neighbors told The Student they frequently saw people coming and going from the house, staying for less than a minute before leaving. The Oxford Police Department has yet to confirm the cause of the raid or respond for comment.
The house is owned by Park Place Real Estate; they have not responded for comment at this time.
Isaiah Lee, a student at Miami University who lives nearby, said he saw multiple cop cars, some of which were unmarked, pull up to the house earlier Friday afternoon. The officers entered the home with rifles and detained its occupants as they searched the property.
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“We saw them outside with [rifles] and pistols, and they blew open the shed … and cellar door,” Lee said. “We heard a bunch of commotion and yelling.”
Another neighbor, who chose to remain anonymous, said she and her roommates were watching TV when they saw the raid outside their window. She said police had raided the house and were pulling occupants out of the house in 15-minute intervals to detain them. She said at least three people were arrested.
Update: 10:30 p.m. Friday, May 8
A press release from the Oxford Police Department (OPD) says four men were detained and brought in for questioning after a search warrant was executed. Police seized cocaine, electronics and other paraphernalia. Will Esler, a senior finance major, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and trafficking in drugs and transported to the Butler County Jail. The charges specify Esler was in possession of over 27 grams of cocaine. OPD says this was part of a months-long ongoing investigation. Esler is not a member of Pi Kappa Phi, according to the current Interfraternity Council chapter roster.
Update: 2:40 p.m. Saturday, May 9
Update: 1:40 p.m. Tuesday, May 12
Esler was released from Butler County Jail Monday, May 11 after posting 10% of his $100,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is set for Thursday, May 14 at 1:00 p.m.
Update: 4:00 p.m. Thursday, May 14
A Butler County Area I Court bailiff told The Student Esler’s trial was bound over to a grand jury, and his preliminary hearing was dismissed. Grand jury meetings are private, and dates are not made public until the decision is released, according to the Office of the Butler County Prosecutor. The process can take several weeks.
Update 1:00 p.m. Friday, May 15
According to a press release from the OPD, the raid was part of the same investigation as a second raid on May 14.
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