Man arrested, fined after snakes, Gila monsters discovered in Prescott home
State authorities have made an arrest in a case where a man is accused of housing 40 venomous reptiles in his Prescott home. All 36 snakes, which were illegal to possess, were euthanized due to a fungal disease, officials said.
Arizona Game and Fish Department announced on Tuesday officers received information from the Prescott Police Department that they had observed venomous reptiles in a residence while dealing with another issue. It was not immediately clear when the arrest and subsequent hearing took place.
State officers responded to the residence to investigate the reptiles but nobody was home. They returned after securing a search warrant and found the reptiles had been removed, the department said.
The resident was located and arrested a few days later on charges of tampering with evidence and possession of restricted live wildlife, according to the department. The man then told authorities of the reptiles' new location.
The 36 venomous snakes and four Gila monsters were recovered at their new location. The resident admitted to illegally collecting wild snakes, breeding some of them and purchasing non-native snakes, officials said.
This case involved some reptiles that are legal to possess with a hunting license, some reptiles that are protected, and reptiles that were illegal to import into the state. This man didn’t have a valid hunting license, so none of the reptiles were legal to possess, according to the department.
Gila monsters are illegal to take from the wild and non-native venomous snakes are illegal to possess or import due to their risks to native species, officials said.
Tests revealed the non-native snakes carried a fungal disease that spread to the native snakes.
"As a result of the aggressive disease, all snakes had to be euthanized," the department said.
A $1,200 fine was imposed on the resident after an admission of guilt. A hearing by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission resulted in a five-year revocation of the individual's hunting, fishing and trapping licenses.
The man was ordered to pay $9,684.54 for the state's loss and he was ordered to complete a hunter education course before reapplying for a state license to take wildlife, according to officials.
The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com has changed its approach to covering crime and typically does not identify people arrested or charged for all but the most serious cases.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man arrested after venomous reptiles found in Prescott home
