College board member ‘had knowledge’ of drug trafficking

EVANSVILLE — Evansville law enforcement say faculty board member Amy Phrase “had knowledge” of narcotics trafficking at the West Franklin Road bar she owns, Lamasco Bar and Grill.

Phrase was booked into the Vanderburgh County jail at 6:34 a.m. Saturday early morning on a cost stated as “managed substance-prevalent nuisance-keeping,” a Degree 6 felony.

She was afterwards produced right after publishing a $500 bond, in accordance to jail logs. The Courier & Push still left Word a telephone message in search of remark.

Evansville Police Section spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Gray reported Phrase was a person of 22 men and women arrested through the class of a narcotics investigation targeting drug trafficking together the Franklin Street corridor. According to police, that investigation has led to the seizure of pound-quantities of narcotics and multiple firearms.

In a news launch, Gray reported detectives initiated a visitors end on a car owned by Term at 4:30 a.m. Saturday. Detectives “found a powerful smell of marijuana coming from the car or truck,” the information release states.

Word was allegedly in the passenger seat of the automobile, which law enforcement said was staying driven by 29-calendar year-outdated Zachary Clark, who has considering that been charged with possession of cannabis and possession of a managed compound. Detectives allegedly found cocaine and cannabis in the car or truck.

The Courier & Push left Word a cellular phone message in search of remark.

Before in the night time, detectives say they witnessed “hand-to-hand” drug transactions in the Lamasco Bar & Grill parking ton in between folks that have been currently under investigation for narcotics working.

For the duration of a 1:30 a.m. traffic end, police stated they confiscated around 8 grams of cocaine that also discipline examined positive for fentanyl. The two males allegedly inside of of the auto – Aaron Funkhouser and Steven Driesbach – have due to the fact been charged with dealing narcotics, according to court data.

The news release states that a later targeted visitors prevent was conducted on a automobile operated by 35-12 months-aged Demario Holman, who was taken into custody for working cocaine.

Tale continues

Right after securing research warrants for Holman’s automobile and residence, detectives said they recovered around $22,000 in hard cash, about a pound of cocaine, a pound of marijuana and five firearms — which includes a semi-computerized rifle.

Detectives executed a look for warrant at Lamasco Bar & Grill Friday morning “in furtherance of the investigation.”

To date, law enforcement mentioned, the probe has resulted in the seizure of $43,000 in cash, over 1.7 kilograms of marijuana, 1.1 kilograms of cocaine, more than 100 grams of “hallucinogenic prescription drugs,” roughly 10 grams of meth, in excess of 3 grams of fentanyl, over 1,100 grams of cocaine and various drugs.

In the news release, Evansville police mentioned the investigation is ongoing and “much more arrests are anticipated.”

Word, 47, has owned Lamasco Bar & Grill at 1331 W. Franklin St. since 2009, according to the Indiana Secretary of State’s place of work. In 2019, she opened Amy’s on Franklin, 1418 W. Franklin St., a increased-finish bar and restaurant.

Term was elected to the EVSC School Board in 2020, successful one of the two seats for District 3 by approximately 5,000 votes. Earlier this thirty day period, the Courier & Press involved her title on a record of potential mayoral candidates.

“My reason for trying to find general public office was to usually serve where I was most needed and to use my talents exactly where I could be of finest use for the people today of the group,” she told the Courier & Press at the time. “Any conclusions produced about long term positions will usually have this as the primary concentration.”

This story will be updated.

This article initially appeared on Evansville Courier & Push: EVSC board member, cafe operator Amy Phrase arrested Saturday