ALBANY, N.Y. — A reptile breeder in upstate New York has paid a $500 fine related to the possession of more than 150 venomous snakes in his home.
The Department of Environmental Conservation says investigators searched the Orange County home of Darren Paolini after the man was hospitalized for a venomous snake bite last June. They seized 157 live venomous snakes and several years of breeding records.
Paolini pleaded guilty to misdemeanor commercialization of wildlife charges in February and agreed to pay a fine.
The snakes were taken to the Bronx Zoo.
