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Large Scale Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to Life in Prison

December 14, 2009

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30-Year Fugitive Had Ten Fingers Surgically Altered to Evade Capture

PHOENIX (RPRN) 12/14/09 — Large Scale Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to Life in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering 30-year Fugitive Had All 10 Fingers Surgically Altered to Evade Capture -

-William Wallace Keegan, aka Richard Alan King, 62, of Palm Harbor, Florida (and previously of Calif. and New York), was sentenced yesterday to five concurrent life sentences for drug trafficking and 240 months for money laundering related to his drug trafficking activities.  Keegan was found guilty in June 2009, after a 10-day federal jury trial, of one count of Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine, four counts of Possession With Intent To Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine and one Count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.

During the trial, the evidence showed that Keegan had all 10 fingers surgically altered in the 1990's to obliterate his fingerprints above the first joint. A Drug Enforcement Administration forensic fingerprint analyst was able to match the lower joint fingerprints from the arrest under the name of Richard King in January 2008 with a 1977 arrest, confirming his identity as William Wallace Keegan.

“This sentencing marks an end to a nationwide drug trafficking enterprise that spanned over three decades,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Elizabeth W. Kempshall. “William Wallace Keegan was the leader of an extensive pipeline of illicit drugs who did everything he could to hide his identity and evade capture.  Now, he will be behind bars and known only by his inmate number.”

For full story please visit us at www.dea.gov .

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