School board member Amy Word pleads not guilty in felony case
EVANSVILLE — Local restaurateur and school board member Amy Word made her initial court appearance Wednesday and entered a preliminary plea of not guilty following her July 30 arrest.
Word, who owns Lamasco Bar & Grill and Amy's on Franklin, was one of several people arrested by Evansville police Saturday night during a wide-ranging investigation of drug activity on Franklin Street.The school board member is charged with "maintaining a common nuisance - controlled substances," a Level 6 felony. She quickly posted a $500 bond and was released from jail Saturday.
Her arrest followed weeks of police surveillance of Lamasco Bar & Grill and the surrounding area. Affidavits of probable cause filed by the Evansville Police Department detail numerous drug transactions that are alleged to have occurred at, or near, Lamasco. Police allege that Word was aware of this activity.
Word was arrested following a traffic stop of a vehicle owned by her, but allegedly driven by 29-year-old Zachary Clark. The vehicle, according to Word, had an expired plate. Police allegedly recovered cocaine and marijuana from a bag belonging to Clark, who has since been charged with possession of a narcotic drug. At his initial hearing Wednesday morning, Clark also entered a preliminary plea of not guilty.
More:Police say school board member 'had knowledge' of drug trafficking
A gaggle of local media lined the halls as Word approached the Vanderburgh County Superior Court room for her 9 a.m. hearing. When asked if she had a statement for reporters, Word politely said she did not.
But in two separate Facebook posts, Word did address the public and the thousands of people commenting about her arrest on social media, some of whom she described as a "hungry mob."
"All of you that have participated in the social media insanity, you relish in coliseum culture that seeks blood before understanding," Word wrote in a Tuesday post. "To the hundreds of kind people that have reached out, your grace and kindness will not be forgotten."
In addition to addressing vitriolic comments levied against her on social media platforms like Facebook, Word also wrote that an individual messaged her daughter online, telling the girl everyone in their family "should die."
In an earlier Facebook post, Word made what she said will be her only statement "at this time" regarding the events surrounding her arrest. "Other than ONE Lamasco employee, who was arrested for possession, NONE of the 22 people involved with the broader investigation were or ever have been employees of Lamasco Bar and Grill," she wrote. Word also denied telling a jail inmate there were drugs stored in a Lamasco safe, referencing an anecdote mentioned in a probable cause affidavit, and stated police found no drugs inside Lamasco Bar & Grill.
But records show that at least three Lamasco employees, including Word, have been arrested thus far as a result of the Franklin Street investigation.On Tuesday, police arrested 33-year-old Bryan Scott Biggs, who – according to police affidavits – told investigators in May that he delivers cocaine to Lamasco Bar & Grill, where he also said he worked.
More:Man accused of dealing cocaine said he delivered drugs to Lamasco
Biggs reportedly told police he acts as a “middle man,” buying a “1/2 to 1 gram for $50-$100 at a time and delivers it to people while he is working at Lamasco,” the affidavit states.
Investigators also conducted controlled buys of cocaine in the Lamasco Bar & Grill parking lot, according to probable cause affidavits filed against Word and others.
The school board member – who is reportedly taking a leave of absence from her elected position – will appear in court again Sept. 28.
Following the initial hearing Wednesday, Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Wayne Trockman instructed Word to immediately report to the probation office to enroll in a monitoring program required as a condition of her bond.
Houston Harwood can be contacted at walter.harwood@courierpress.com with story ideas and questions.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Amy Word case: Evansville School board member pleads not guilty
