LIBERTY TWP., Ohio — Federal agents executed search warrants Tuesday, May 26 at a Liberty Twp. home as part of a ongoing drug investigation, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
DEA spokesperson Brian McNeal said the agency worked with the Cincinnati Police Department on the operation at a home in the 6600 block of Silver Skate Drive.
The property is owned by LRE 2 LLC, one of four defendants named in a May 6 lawsuit filed by Liberty Twp. over the use of short-term rentals, which township officials say are prohibited under zoning rules clarified in a July 1, 2025 resolution.
The same company also owns a home in the 4800 block of Granada Court that was the site of a large party and reported gunfire earlier this month.
Short-term rentals under scrutiny
Township officials have said the properties cited in the lawsuit have repeatedly been used as short-term rentals despite zoning prohibitions.
The lawsuit names LRE 2 LLC, LRE 1 LLC, Plum Tree Rentals LLC and Jason Ross as defendants. According to the Butler County Auditor’s Office, the group owns more than 80 properties across the county, including single-family homes, apartments and vacant lots.
The Granada Court property is no longer listed on Vrbo and remains available for rent on Plum Tree Rentals’ website. Only one home owned by LRE 1 LLC remains listed on Vrbo; it is in the 4900 block of Cincinnati Dayton Road in Liberty Twp.
Township officials say they issued multiple notices of violation, including final notices in December, along with legal warnings to stop using the properties for short-term rentals. Officials allege those notices were ignored.
Trustee Tom Farrell said the township filed suit after determining the property owners and rental company would not comply with zoning rules or address issues tied to rental activity.
Legal action and potential penalties
The township is asking the court to declare the short-term rentals a violation of zoning regulations and a public nuisance.
The lawsuit also seeks an order prohibiting the defendants from operating short-term rentals in the township and from maintaining nuisance conditions at the properties.
If violations are confirmed, the township is requesting fines of $500 per day.
Township officials said short-term rentals were never permitted under zoning rules but a 2025 resolution was adopted to clearly formalize the ban as platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo grew in popularity.
Shots fired at rental property
Butler County sheriff’s deputies responded shortly after midnight May 3 to the Granada Court home. An incident report states multiple shots were fired as a party with about 50 people was breaking up.
Witnesses told deputies people were “frantically running and screaming.” No victims or suspects were found at the home.
One witness, who said he owned the property and had rented it out, told deputies he arrived after neighbors complained about the party. As guests began leaving, he said he heard gunfire and saw people fleeing.
Another witness reported gunfire coming from a vehicle linked to the party.
Investigators found shell casings outside the home and determined at least one bullet entered through a window and lodged in an interior wall. No injuries were reported.
Dispatch received 19 emergency calls related to the incident, with one caller reporting about 10 gunshots.
Neighbors later told township trustees the incident was part of a pattern of disruptive parties, citing noise, crowding, trash and safety concerns.
The incident prompted an investigation and $5,000 reward from the Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones.
Journal-News reached out to the Sheriff’s office for comment and an update on the investigation and did not receive a response.
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