Man Facing Drug Charges After Bathroom Episode At Bank

Bowling Green Man Arrested At Bank of Edmonson County

Darren Doyle, story:
A Bowling Green man was arrested on various drug charges after he found himself in a messy situation after a bathroom incident at a local bank.

Law enforcement reported that officers were dispatched to the Bank of Edmonson County on Friday around 3:30pm to the report of a suspicious individual inside the bank. According to Sheriff Shane Doyle, a bank employee said that a man identified as Jonathan Travis Smith, (28) of Bowling Green came running into the bank asking for a bathroom.

According to Sheriff Doyle, the employee pointed him into the direction of the public bathroom inside the bank. The Sheriff said that after a lengthy amount of time, the entire bank was overcome with a foul odor and another employee attempted to check on the man. Upon entering the bank's public bathroom, the employee noticed a ceiling tile was removed and the man was nowhere to be found. Fearing the man had gained access to the bank's attic space, the employee immediately called law enforcement.

Coincidentally, Smith had used the employee-only bathroom, not the public bathroom as bank employees had thought. According to the Sheriff, Smith had left a large mess in the employee-only bathroom and exited quickly after bank employees called for law enforcement. It was unknown how the ceiling tile was removed in the public bathroom but that it was seemingly unrelated to the entire incident. Video surveillance later showed the man did not gain access to any prohibited area inside the bank.

Jonathan Smith, (28) of Bowling Green.

​Doyle said that within seconds, officers arrived and covered both the outside and inside of the building. Brownsville Police Chief Jeff Jewel said that he stopped the man outside the bank and asked him general questions and for his identification. According to Chief Jewell, Smith gave permission for officers to search his car, where they found drug paraphernalia, marijuana, and a quantity of Suboxone without a prescription, which is a controlled substance.

Smith was arrested and charged with: Possession of marijuana, Drug paraphernalia, and Possession of controlled substance-second degree.

"You have to be careful how you take care of your business if you choose to possess illegal drugs in Edmonson County," said Sheriff Shane Doyle. "You can get some serious charges dumped on you."

"The Brownsville PD is always appreciative of the outstanding working relationship with our Sheriff's office and the county jailer," said Chief Jewell. "Credit should also go to the bank employees for how they handled the situation. Without our citizens being willing to go the extra step, the chances of making this arrest would've been flushed down the toilet."