Germantown resident and Valley View grad Tony Houston was arrested June 3 and charged federally with possessing unregistered firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun and pipe bombs.

Houston, a resident of Windcliff Apartments in Germantown, was arrested by Germantown Police after a search of his apartment with a warrant.

In a court hearing June 9, the judge ordered a psych evaluation for Houston before further proceedings.

According to a press release issued June 4 by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio, Germantown police officers responded to the Windcliff Apartments in May because Houston allegedly threatened two individuals with a sawed-off shotgun. Subsequent investigation led investigators to obtain a search warrant for Houston’s residence. 

The U.S. Attorney’s office statement also said that FBI agents and the FBI’s hostage rescue team executed the search warrants at Houston’s home and recovered a sawed-off shotgun, as well as at least eight apparent destructive devices, including pipe bombs. Houston was not registered to possess the short-barreled shotgun or the destructive devices. 

The Dayton Police Department's bomb squad and FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force are also coordinating on the investigation. The Butler County Sheriff confirmed on Facebook that they were using their bomb range to destroy several confiscated items the day of the arrest.

Day in Court

Houston had an initial court appearance on June 4 and then was scheduled for a detention hearing June 9 in Federal Court in Dayton.

TWIN CREEK TIMES was on hand in the courtroom Tuesday when Judge Peter B. Silvain, Jr. made the decision to order a psych evaluation of Houston, noting that Houston believed he was being experimented on and irradiated by the military.

“He may be mentally incompetent to participate in his defense,” noted the judge.

After discussion by his attorney and the prosecution, the judge ruled that Houston remain in custody until there could be a hearing on his competency. The judge noted that this needed to happen in the next 30 days.

In addition to the TWIN CREEK TIMES, John Bedell from WHIO Channel 7 was in court for the proceedings. There were no family or friends of Houston present.

Life in Germantown

Houston is a 2003 graduate of Valley View. A review of the yearbook did not show that he participated in school activities.

Judge Silvain said in court that Houston had a number of significant medical issues that needed to be provided for in the Montgomery County Jail.

Houston lived at Windcliff Village Apartments, at the top of the hill near the intersection of Route 4 and Market Street.

The apartments are part of Greater Dayton Premier Management and tied to the Public Housing Authority for Montgomery County. The apartments are part of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

Comments made by the prosecutors in court indicated that, should Houston be released by the judge in the future, he would need assistance with housing.

Houston’s next court appearance will be his competency hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

© 2026 Twin Creek Times