Chase Matthew Speaks Out After Bandmate Carsen Richards Arrested on Serious Felony Charges

Chase Matthew has issued a statement after his bandmate, Carsen Richards, was arrested immediately following his concert at BBQ and Barrels in Owensboro, Kentucky on Saturday, May 9.

According to The Owensboro Times, Richards, 22 of Hendersonville, Tennessee was arrested on felony charges at approximately 9:40 pm local time after performing at the Owensboro Convention Center with Chase Matthew. Richards was reportedly known to be “frequently armed” so police handled the situation carefully to “reduce the likelihood of a violent armed encounter in a crowded environment,” according to Owensboro Police Department spokesman Mark Hammonds.

Hammonds confirmed, “A team of officers took Richards into custody shortly after he exited the stage, before he could reach a tour bus and away from the main crowd. Richards was confirmed not to be armed at the time of his arrest.”

Upon being taken into custody, Richards was reportedly booked into the Daviess County Detention Center. According to records filed with Clark County Distrcit Court, he faces two counts of second-degree sodomy and two counts of incest involving a person under 18 by a person three or more years older. He is said to be held on a $75,000 cash bond and is not allowed to have contact with the alleged victim.

These allegations allegedly come from incidents that took place in December 2020 and December 2022 in Clark County.

The Owensboro Times states that court records claim that Richards sexually abused an autistic child when the child was 12 and 14 and that the victim’s mother reported these incidents to Winchester Police in November 2025.

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After the news of Carsen Richards’ arrest broke, Chase Matthew shared an emotional statement on social media admitting that this is one of the most “shocking and heartbreaking things” he has ever been through.

“When I first heard the allegations, I was sick to my stomach. I would never associate myself with a person I think could even be remotely capable of something like this, much less hire them to be on my team,” he wrote. “The reality is, you don’t always know what someone may be doing outside of your workplace, and nothing would have made me believe this was a possibility.”

Matthew confirmed that Richards has been removed from his band and that he is no longer associated with his team in any way.

“And I want to be very clear: I do not support or tolerate behavior of this kind whatsoever. I am truly disturbed and disgusted by the details of these allegations. My heart breaks for anyone affected.”

He shared his hopes that the legal system will take care of the situation properly.

“Like you, I’m learning this information as it comes out publicly. I don’t know anything more than y’all know. This is an ongoing legal matter, and I trust that the legal system will go through the correct procedures to get to the bottom of this.”