Sergeant who took loan from club owner transferred

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2003 | 10:56 a.m.

A Metro Police sergeant was disciplined and transferred after an internal affairs investigation found that he violated department policies by accepting a $15,000 loan from the owner of topless club currently being investigated by the FBI.

Sgt. Tom Keller, 45, reportedly took the loan from Crazy Horse Too owner Rick Rizzolo in 1999 to help finance a computer software business with Rizzolo's brother-in-law, police officials said.

Keller, who has been with Metro for 23 years, was suspended for three weeks without pay last month, and was transferred from the cyber-crimes unit to a patrol unit in the Southwest area command, police said.

Internal affairs found that Keller violated department policies including accepting gifts from suspects and having dealings with people of ill repute, police said.

The loan came to light in documents seized by the FBI during a Feb. 20 raid of the Crazy Horse Too. The club was raided by FBI agents as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged ties between the club and organized crime. No indictments have been filed in connection with the raid.

An internal affairs investigation was started after police learned about the loan, following the FBI raid, officials said.

Keller, who makes about $80,000 a year and has known Rizzolo since childhood, paid the loan back to Rizzolo earlier this year, officials said.

Keller, who is no relation to former Clark County Sheriff Jerry Keller, is married to Karen Keller, executive director of Metro's office of finance.