[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 02/18/21]
MONTVERDE, Florida — A man already wanted for trafficking methamphetamine was busted Friday with more than 450 grams of the addictive drug, according to an arrest affidavit.
Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were looking for David Joe Keller, 40, and surveilling a home on Heatherwood Lane in Montverde Friday when Keller left the home and got into the driver’s seat of a U-Haul truck. Keller, who has a suspended driver license, drove the truck eastbound down Heatherwood Lane and an LCSO deputy pulled him over.
Keller exited the truck and began to walk away, according to the affidavit, and after several commands he complied and was placed into handcuffs. An LCSO K9 handler and his K9 deputy, Goast, performed an open-air sniff of the truck and Goast immediately alerted on the driver’s door and deputies searched the truck. They found a glass pipe in the cupholder and a black backpack on the floorboard. Multiple bags of methamphetamine were found in the backpack, including one containing 410 grams of the drug, another bag containing an unknown white powder weighing 24 grams, six needles and two scales, according to the affidavit, and 26 grams of marijuana were found in the back of the U-Haul.
The U-Haul was towing a black trailer containing tools and several motorcycles, the affidavit states; one of the motorcycles, a 2003 Honda was found to be stolen out of Orange County and Keller was charged with grand theft auto in addition to driving while license suspended (habitual,) trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of marijuana more than 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia. Keller, who was out on bond for previous charges in Lake and Hernando counties, was transported to the Lake County Jail where he is being held on no bond.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
