MEMORABILIA BEING SOUGHT IN DRUG CASE

The Wilson County Sheriff's Department is trying to seize numerous
collectible items, including a Joe Namath college jersey and a Titans AFC
championship ring, that belong to a man arrested last fall in a
drug-trafficking investigation.

Deputies continued to use search warrants yesterday at three locations in
the Midstate where they believe valuables were being stored that belong to
James Gordon Keith, 59, of Mt. Juliet.

Sheriff Terry Ashe said Keith's home, at 1001 Joanne Point in Mt. Juliet,
housed many rare sports memorabilia. Ashe said this included football
jerseys autographed by prominent players, historical European artifacts, a
1999 Tennessee Titans AFC championship ring, Christmas collectibles,
expensive furniture and paintings.

Among the items Ashe said Keith had was a Joe Namath jersey from his days
at the University of Alabama.

"The long and short is, he is very eccentric and bought a lot of
top-dollar, one-of-a-kind stuff. I have no idea how much it's worth. I've
heard $250,000-plus. Some of the sports memorabilia is priceless," Ashe said.

"We believe this was bought with laundered money and drug money. We're
doing this to make sure it doesn't get disposed of. If it had stayed in the
house, we probably wouldn't have done it."

Keith, who was still held at the Metro Jail last night pending trial, was
arrested last October. He was charged with being a felon in possession of
firearms and maintaining his residence to place, use, store and manufacture
drugs. Four checks worth more than $4 million were also found in his home,
police said.

Ashe said Keith's friends have been moving items to a rural location on
Canoe Branch Road in Wilson County, Springfield and three storage buildings
in Mt. Juliet for an auction. Some items were to be auctioned off today in
Springfield, Sheriff's Department Capt. Lance Howell said.

Howell said the Sheriff's Department would ask a judge to force the
forfeiture of the property to the county.

Keith could not be reached for comment yesterday and apparently does not
have an attorney. Nashville lawyer David Cooper said he talked to Keith
about representing him, but Cooper said he hasn't been retained yet.

Ashe said that if the items are awarded to the Sheriff's Department, they
would be auctioned. Proceeds would go to the department's drug fund.