James T. Jacks
Acting United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

FORMER MONTAGUE COUNTY SHERIFF EXPECTED
TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION

William E. Keating Faces Up to Ten Years in Federal Prison, Without Parole

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Former Montague County Sheriff, William E. Keating, a/k/a Bill Keating, has agreed to enter a guilty plea to an Information charging a federal civil rights violation, announced James T. Jacks, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Keating is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert K. Roach in U.S. District Court in Wichita Falls on Thursday, January 29, 2009, at 10:30 a.m., to enter his plea.

Signed plea papers have been filed with the Court in which William E. Keating, 62, admits that on November 14, 2008, while he was the elected Sheriff of Montague County, Texas, he willfully deprived another person, L.M., of her civil rights while under color of law, when he sexually assaulted her. Keating faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor at a later date in U.S. District Court in Wichita Falls.

James T. Jacks said, “The overwhelming majority of law enforcement officials perform their duties with honor and professionalism, but when officers abuse their authority, and prey upon the public instead of protecting it, this office will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” Jacks continued, “This office will continue to work closely with the DOJ Civil Rights Division and the FBI to investigate police misconduct that undermines public trust and violates these civil rights.”

Robert E. Casey, Jr. Special Agent in Charge, Dallas FBI said, “I would like to thank the Department of Public Safety-Texas Rangers and the Montague County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this investigation. The criminal activity uncovered in this investigation is quite troubling, especially given that the person charged was a sworn law enforcement officer. There is no place for abuse in the American justice system. No person is above the law and no person is beneath its protection.”

According to the factual resume filed in the case, at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 14, 2008, Sheriff Keating, dressed in civilian clothes with his sheriff’s badge and gun in plain view on his belt, and other Montague County Sheriff’s Office employees, executed an arrest warrant at a residence occupied by the victim, L.M., and her boyfriend. As they entered the residence, L.M. and her boyfriend were asleep in a bedroom of the house. Sheriff deputies arrested the boyfriend on the outstanding warrant and removed him from the bedroom. Deputies searched the residence and discovered a bag that contained utensils and other articles used to manufacture methamphetamine. Deputies also located a plastic container that appeared to have trace amounts of methamphetamine on it.

After deputies removed the arrested man from the bedroom, Sheriff Keating ordered the other deputy to leave the bedroom so that L.M. could get dressed. Sheriff Keating then closed the door and, once alone with L.M., told her, “You are about to be my new best friend.” He told her that he found illegal drugs in the residence that belonged to her and that for her to avoid going to jail, she would be required to “assist” him. Keating admitted that the assistance he referred to included oral sex with him on multiple occasions and an agreement to act as an informant for the Montague County Sheriff’s Office. Keating told L.M. that if she complied with his request, that he would help her get a job, a place to live and that she wouldn’t be criminally charged with possessing any drugs or drug-making equipment that was found in the home. Keating also told her that if she didn’t comply, she would go straight to jail.

After Sheriff Keating and L.M. left the bedroom, he told her to get into his personal vehicle that was parked outside of the residence. He then drove to a secluded area in Montague County and instructed her to perform oral sex on him, and in the process, grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her head down into his lap, causing her pain and bodily injury.

The case remains under investigation by the FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety-Texas Rangers and the Montague County District Attorney’s Office and additional charges are likely.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dallas, Texas, is prosecuting this case.

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