HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — Several days after Lamasco Bar and Grill had its liquor license suspended, owner Amy Word reacted by sharing a lengthy statement on social media.
Her statement received dozens of responses, including many comments standing up for her. This comes almost a year after Word was arrested after Evansville Police began a large drug investigation involving her bar and other businesses along Franklin Street last summer.
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Amy Word’s full statement posted on Facebook can be read below:
“On July 30th 2022, I was booked and jailed for maintaining a common nuisance nearly 2 hours prior to the search warrant of Lamasco was signed and executed by a judge. Also, during this time frame, EPD Police Chief (not their department spokesperson) issued a nearly 2 inch stack (we FOIA’d what was released to the media) directly to the media.. again, before a warrant was signed, a warrant that resulted in NOT ONE SINGLE DRUG, TRACE OF A DRUG, RESIDUE OF A DRUG in my building. The 13 page warrant listed EPD, VCO and JTF expert opinions what was to be located: cocaine, weapons, baggies, scales, ledger books, large sums of cash, etc… and not ONE single item from the list on the warrant was located after extensive hours long search, with several drug dog teams, and multiple officers. This search was ALSO tipped off to the media, who was waiting with camera’s rolling, to have me tried and convicted by the public before the ink had dried on the search warrant.
One of the most damning pieces hand picked and delivered to the media, was the juicy tidbit of a jail house phone call in which they quoted me as saying I had “dope in my safe” and I got very angry because somebody was talking about my drugs. In fact, I was furious that the person who had said this is the woman who stole tens of thousands dollars, of which my insurance company hired a forensic auditor who confirmed the theft, and paid the employee dishonesty claim. All of this information is now with the local prosecutors office, who has had privy to this information for quite some time.
Here is the actual transcription of that phone call (photo exhibit), which we also deposed EPD regarding, in which they retracted me saying this, and confirmed I actually stated the exact opposite in which no drugs had ever been in my safe, and was actually an accusation against a thief and her convicted drug dealing boyfriend. For now, I have blacked out the names.
Things to note: the word “dope” was never used, but was quoted by EPD as to what was said, and ran in every news media outlet. Not one major outlet asked to hear the tape, ask to see transcripts, and became direct arms and spokesperson for our local law enforcement. NOT ONE QUESTION WAS ASKED TO THE VERACITY, NOT ONE REQUEST FOR THE TAPE.
There are about 10 pieces of the probable cause that are this gossip filled, if not downright malicious in the intent. I will try to break them down as easily can be, with evidence to support everything I am saying.
Also, ask your attorney friends how many common nuisance charges have resulted from no drug arrests on premise, no drugs found on a premise, and prior to a search warrant being executed. I can give you the answer… it is HIGHLY unheard of, and I’d be interested to see if a single case can be highlighted in which this has occurred.
At this point, it’s an open book, and I am happy to answer questions from the public, but will not answer a single question with the media.”
The alleged and aforementioned transcript from Word’s phone call was attached to her statement and included several pieces of redacted information.
