Deputy pleads guilty in OVI case

Update@4:30 p.m., Jan. 26:

A Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy arrested for driving while intoxicated entered a conditional guilty plea in Vandalia Municipal Court on Friday afternoon.

As a condition of his plea, Sgt. William Abels will enroll in a diversion program and enter a 72-hour residential drivers’ intervention program in lieu of three days in jail because he’s a first offender, court officials said. Abels was also ordered to pay court costs, plus $550 in fines and he’ll be on probation for a year.

Now that Abels’ criminal case is complete, the sheriff’s office will conduct an internal investigation, said Personnel Director Julie Droessler, adding that Abels has returned to duty.

Update@6:05 p.m., Jan. 12:

A Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy is on paid leave after he was arrested for driving drunk last weekend.

Sgt. William “Terry” Abels, 44, is using accrued vacation time, and is not working with the Montgomery County Drug Task Force while the criminal case proceeds, Maj. Daryl Wilson said Monday.

Abels was charged with driving under the influence Saturday morning after he was pulled over by an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper on North Dixie Drive near Little York Road in Butler Twp. He was reportedly driving left of center when he was pulled over. The trooper said there was a strong odor of alcohol from the vehicle, and Abels allegedly was lethargic and had bloodshot eyes. He refused to take a breathalyzer test, but failed two field sobriety tests, according to the highway patrol citation.

At the time of his arrest, Abels was driving a 2012 black Chevrolet issued to him by the county for use on the drug task force. He was hired by the sheriff’s office in 2005 and has been working on the task force for about two years, Wilson said.

Abels was identified as a sheriff’s office employee about midway through his arrest. However, he did not ask for special treatment, and was released to a sober driver and summonsed into court — a common occurrence for first-time offenders, said Lt. Mark Nichols, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Dayton post.

“Everyone who’s arrested for OVI does not go to jail. In a lot of our cases, as long as the person is being cooperative, does what we ask them to, obviously we would allow them to have a ride come pick them up,” Nichols said.

The sheriff’s office command staff was notified of Abels’ arrest Saturday morning, Wilson said. An administrative investigation will be initiated once the court case concludes.

“At that point we will get all the facts at hand and we will look at it on our end and take corrective action if need be,” Wilson said.

Abels is scheduled to be arraigned in Vandalia Municipal Court Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.

First Take:

A sergeant with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was cited for OVI early Saturday during a traffic stop.

The deputy, identified as Sgt. William “Terry” Abels, was off duty and driving an unmarked county vehicle when he was observed drifting over the center lines on North Dixie Drive by Sgt. Jerod Keyes of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Dayton Post.

Keyes said he initiated a traffic stop after also observing Abels making an improper left-hand turn onto Little York Road shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday.

During the stop, Abels identified himself as a deputy, but denied drinking alcohol that night. A field sobriety test was conducted and Abels refused to take a breath test.

Abels was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and driving outside marked lanes. His wife picked him up from the scene, Keyes said.

Calls made to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for comment have not yet been returned.