FBI Agent Who Handled Major E. Kentucky Cases Set To Retire On Tuesday

LONDON, Ky. -- An FBI agent who helped convict five sheriffs, a police
chief and a judge on public corruption charges is retiring Tuesday.

David Keller, 54, spent the last 21 years based in the London FBI office.
In that time, he's been involved in some of the biggest cases in Eastern
Kentucky.

''He's just probably the finest example of a career FBI agent that I've
ever seen,'' said Scott Barker, supervisory special agent over the London
and Pikeville FBI offices.

The cases Keller was involved in included the 1991 convictions of three
sheriffs, a police chief and a deputy in Lee, Owsley and Wolfe counties for
taking payoffs to protect drug smuggling.

In 1994, his work helped arrest another sheriff -- who had served four
terms as judge-executive in Lee County -- in a large marijuanatrafficking
investigation that also nailed two dozen others, including two deputies and
a candidate for sheriff.

In 1986, he helped snare 16 people in a three-year investigation of
payoffs, insurance fraud and other crimes. Among those charged was the
sheriff and former judge-executive of Morgan County, former state-police
Commissioner Butch Campbell, a district judge, a doctor, an accountant and
two lawyers. All but Campbell were convicted.

After assignments in Newark, N.J.; Omaha, Neb.; and Minneapolis, Minn.,
Keller, a Kentucky native, reported to the London FBI office in November 1980.

''I'd say he's probably had more positive impact on the crime problem down
there than any particular guy I've known,'' said Jim Huggins, who
supervised several FBI offices in Kentucky before retiring in 1995. ''I
think he just had a real commitment to doing the right thing and helping
people.''

Officers who worked with Keller said he was a patient, dogged investigator
who made meticulous plans.

''Dave would leave no stone unturned,'' said state police Detective Tom
McKnight, who has worked with Keller for more than 10 years.

McKnight and others said Keller is a down-to-earth man who got people to
open up and cooperate because he didn't talk down to suspects or
informants, and treated even criminals with respect.

Keller, a committed Catholic and longtime Sunday School teacher who once
gave back a bank robber's Bible during a search, said few people are
completely bad.

Barker said Keller always swore after a big case that he'd never work
another one but always did. But after 30 years, too much time away from his
wife and two sons, and some health problems, Keller said he's ready to slow
down.

Keller said he feels good about the changes in southeastern Kentucky during
the last 20 years. There is better cooperation between law-enforcement
agencies, and local police have become much more professional, he said.

Police have driven vote buyers underground and hit drug rings hard.

''We've really made some progress over the years,'' Keller said. ''I'm
going to miss the work, but I'm not going to miss life in the fast lane.''