Man sues Corbin police for return of his $12,000

A Whitley County man, who claims Corbin Police officers wrongly seized $12,000 in cash from him in March of 2008, has filed suit in an attempt to collect the money they took. In a complaint filed on March 6, in Whitley Circuit Court, Robert Trabish, by way of his attorney, C. Wayne Shepherd, names Corbin Police Officers Rob Jones, Glen Taylor, Jr., other unknown officers of the Corbin Police Department and the City of Corbin in the suit. The suit claims that on March 6, 2008, Trabish was sitting in the parking lot of the south Corbin Kroger location on Cumberland Falls Highway when officer Jones approached his vehicle and called K-9 officer Taylor to search the vehicle. Upon search of the vehicle, the officers did not find any drugs or illegal substance in the vehicle or on the person of Trabish. However, Trabish did have $12,000 cash in the glove compartment of that same vehicle. The officers, Jones and Taylor, then allegedly seized the cash and told Trabish that if he could produce proof as to where and by what means he had obtained the cash, it would be returned to him On the same day the money was seized, the suit says that Taylor gave Trabish a receipt for $12,000, with the following written on it; “Seized money until proof shown where money came from.” The suit further states that later that same day, Trabish went to the Corbin Police Department and provided Unknown Officers with proof of an inheritance from his mother’s estate and recently received income tax refunds, in addition to proof of his wages from unemployment. Trabish allegedly explained to officers that he did not like to deposit his money into banks. Trabish was then told that it would take a few days for officers to get back to him. Then, on March 18, 2008, in spite of proof presented by Trabish and the fact he did not have illegal drugs in his vehicle or on his person and that he was not and has not since been charged with any crime, Defendant, City of Corbin, without Plaintiff’s knowledge, permission or consent, converted Plaintiff’s $12,000. The complaint finishes by stating that the actions of the defendants were in bad faith, negligent, willful, malicious, all to Plaintiff’s damage in an amount exceeding the minimum jurisdictional requirements of the court. Trabish’s attorney is asking for the return of the $12,000, as well as pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, his costs incurred herein including attorney’s fees and any and all other relief to which the Court he may appear entitled. No response has been filed to the complaint as of press time.