A New Albany couple already facing criminal charges in a murder-for-hire case has now turned the tables in court, accusing Louisville Metro Police officers and Floyd County prosecutors of mishandling a search warrant and carrying seized cash across state lines with no public accounting of what was taken. Henry and Courtney Bachmann's attorneys filed the civil lawsuit alleging that LMPD officers seized money from a property on West Main Street in Louisville in September 2025, then took that money into Indiana without a proper record ever surfacing in Kentucky court files.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Bachmanns, claims Floyd County prosecutors used invalid documents to get a Louisville judge to approve the search warrant in the first place, according to WAVE News. The complaint alleges there is no public record of what was actually taken from the property, and argues that a record of the seized property should have been filed with the Kentucky court clerk. Matthew Lemme, who represents both Henry and Courtney Bachmann, said he believes a federal court is the right place to answer questions about search warrant authority and accountability, according to WAVE. LMPD and Floyd County prosecutors have not responded to WAVE's request for comment.
How the Case Began With a Downtown Shooting
The legal fight traces back to a drive-by shooting in downtown New Albany in May 2025, when gunfire aimed at the Underground Station on Bank Street instead tore into the neighboring Bohemian Barbers shop, wounding a woman in the foot while she was with her 11-year-old son, according to WHAS11 News. Police said the shooter fired into the barbershop instead of hitting the intended target, a worker connected to a hemp business on 37th Street. New Albany investigators used license plate recognition cameras to track the suspect vehicle, leading to the May 2025 arrests of Joseph Flesia and Aaron Brown.
Investigators say those arrests uncovered an alleged $5,000 murder-for-hire contract targeting former motorcycle gang member Ryan Sexton and his pregnant girlfriend, Hope Lovelace. Case coverage also mentions an exploded getaway car.
Bachmann Charged After Raids on His New Albany Businesses
In September 2025, Indiana State Police and New Albany police raided two commercial properties owned by Henry Bachmann — North Star Tattoo Co. on Vincennes Street and Cloverleaf Bar & Grill on Culbertson Avenue — before accusing him of paying for a hit, WHAS11 reported. Henry Bachmann is accused of paying for the hit targeting the hemp business worker. Courtney Bachmann faces her own charges, including money laundering and committing a felony while a member of a criminal gang.
The probable cause affidavit filed that September indicated the intended victim told detectives he had been patched out in bad standing from Menace 13, an official support club for the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, giving investigators an alleged motive for the contract hit. A pre-trial conference in the criminal case is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today in Floyd County Superior Court.
Uneven Detention Raises Questions Among Co-Defendants
The case has multiple co-defendants. Court records showed Aaron Brown, the alleged shooter in the drive-by attack, served 43 days before being released on supervised release, according to reporting cited by WHAS11. Brown had initially faced multiple charges, including obstruction of justice and drug possession.
The geography at the center of the Bachmanns' lawsuit is not incidental. New Albany and Louisville are both involved in the case. Case materials describe a joint investigation by New Albany police and Indiana State Police. The lawsuit centers on a warrant obtained through a Louisville judge and property seized by LMPD.
Search Warrants and Seized Property
The Bachmanns' lawsuit raises questions about how search warrants and seized property were documented. It also raises questions about how the seized property was handled after the search.
According to Louisville Public Media, 205 Kentucky law-enforcement agencies reported seizing more than $9.2 million between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. State data obtained by KyCIR and reported by Louisville Public Media showed that 167 Kentucky law-enforcement agencies seized more than $7.5 million between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
The Bachmanns' complaint says the records simply do not exist. Whether LMPD and Floyd County prosecutors can produce records of the seized property may affect the lawsuit's outcome.
