The grand jury also indicted him on two misdemeanors: soliciting or accepting improper compensation and dereliction of duty.
“This defendant abused his position of authority and diverted money that was to be paid to the city of Dayton,” said Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck Jr.
“The defendant’s acts undermine the credibility of the criminal justice system.”
Lowe, who also once worked as a part-time University of Dayton police officer, worked for the court from 2006 until 2009. He was in charge of and administered the court’s electronic home detention program.
Following his resignation, the court conducted an audit of fees paid by probationers and collected by the probation department for the home detention program. After discrepancies were found, court officials asked the fraud unit of the prosecutor’s office to investigate.
The fraud unit found that Lowe collected supervision fees from probationers and would keep the money. He would then alter records to cover for his thefts, Heck said.
Lowe resigned on Dec. 4, 2009, the same day officials signed a letter stating he would no longer be employed by the court.
He had been on probation for a “history of lack of judgment” that included misuse of a city vehicle and issues related to nearly $4,800 he owed the city after receiving too much retroactive pay.
A letter in his file dated Aug. 17 states that another violation of the court’s personnel policy would result in his termination.
On Nov. 27, the probation office received an anonymous letter that stated Lowe had been driving a Mercedes from Bob Ross Buick Inc. with dealers plates for more than a month.
At that time, Lowe was monitoring the home detention of Robert Ross Jr., whose family owned the Centerville dealership and who worked there as a salesman.
In 2001, Lowe was arrested after an incident at his ex-girlfriend’s Huber Heights home. Lowe had gotten into an altercation with the ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend the previous night in the Oregon District.
When the ex-girlfriend refused to let him in the next morning, Lowe kicked in the door then got into another fight with the boyfriend.
Lowe, at the time a UD officer, had his service weapon with him. The boyfriend disarmed him, and Lowe was arrested, according to court records.
Lowe was never indicted in the case, in part because his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend refused to cooperate. The ex-girlfriend told police that Lowe paid child support and she needed the money from him, according to court records.
Lowe petitioned to have his arrest record sealed in 2007, stating that he wanted to become chief probation officer and he thought the record would hurt his efforts.
Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Mary Katherine Huffman denied Lowe’s request, citing the violent nature of the offense, Lowe’s “lack of meaningful remorse beyond his empty statement of regret,” and “the fact that the case was not adjudicated on the merits, but apparently was dismissed because of the lack of cooperation of the complaining witnesses.”
Huffman also noted that his employment as a probation officer may permit him to be armed.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2057 or lgrieco@DaytonDaily News.com.
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