MUG SHOT Florida armed robber’s defense: “Just kidding”

A Florida man accused of entering a bar with a bandana over his face and a gun in his hand and asking for all the money in the joint was only kidding, according to the man himself.

Stephen Randall Koulias, 22, of Holiday FL, was arrested at the Forest Hills Golf and Country Club. Authorities said he stormed in, shouted that he was conducting a “hold-up,” and cast obscenities at the bartender while ordering him to open the cash register.

Apparently Koulias thought the bar was empty, though. When he realized there were people sitting at the bar, having drinks and chatting–like you do–”he took off the bandana and stated he was just kidding.”

According to the police report, his exact words were “I didn’t think there were all these other people in here.”

Koulias’ gun was an Airsoft, which looks like a bullet-shooting firearm but actually shoots pellets. Koulias told police officers he only had the gun so he could shoot frogs.

It isn’t yet clear which three-star French restaurant had placed orders for frogs with Koulias.

Perhaps unsurprisingly: when authorities transferred him from one police vehicle to another, they found on his person a needle covered in meth residue.

This detail might be a little more surprising: The attempted robbery was Koulias’ second of the same country club in the last six months. He was arrested for trying to rob the Forest Hills till back in March, after which a judge ordered him to have no contact with the club.

Currently, Koulias is being held in the Land O’ Lakes jail, and his bail has been set at $110,500.

That, even with today’s seller’s market, is a lot of frog carcasses.