Homeless Man Faces Charges After Allegedly Threatening Deputy Over Confiscated Cigarettes

In Gainesville, Florida, early this morning, a man named Richard Vinnie Keller, aged 65, found himself in legal trouble after being apprehended for trespassing. The situation escalated when Keller allegedly threatened the life of a deputy, who had confiscated his cigarettes during the arrest.

The incident unfolded around 2:30 a.m. on May 4, when an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to the Circle K located at 7501 W. Newberry Road. Keller had been previously warned to keep away from the establishment on May 3, yet returned, prompting the business to call law enforcement for his removal.

As Keller was being transported to jail, tensions heightened when he reportedly issued threats against the deputy, expressing anger over the confiscation of his cigarettes. This led to additional charges being filed against him.

Keller now faces charges of trespassing following a warning and making threats against a law enforcement officer. His criminal record includes 12 felony convictions and three misdemeanor convictions, all of which are non-violent. He recently completed a 60-day sentence for shoplifting at the Alachua County Jail, having been released on April 23.

• “I’ll kill you and put a pack [of cigarettes] on your grave.”
• “I’ll blow [your heart] out of your chest.”
• “When I get out of prison, we’re gonna talk about the [expletive] cigarettes. We’re gonna talk about it for 30 minutes, then I’m gonna put a [expletive] pistol… blow your brains out.”
• “What are you looking for — my pistol? If I had one, I would shoot you in the head.”

The presiding Judge, Meshon Rawls, has set Keller’s bail at $27,500. Furthermore, the court has imposed restrictions, including a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and the use of a GPS monitoring device, to ensure compliance with the law.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law