Fairport Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Snake Trafficking

Michael Collalto, 50, of Fairport, NY, pleaded guilty to four felony counts of violating the Lacey Act—federal charges tied to the illegal transport and acquisition of protected snake species across state lines. The reptile collector admitted to trafficking threatened and endangered snakes obtained through unlawful collection and interstate trade, according to federal prosecutors.

Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced the plea and sentencing in Rochester, N.Y., where Collalto was hit with four years of probation, 300 hours of community service, and a $5,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa handed down the sentence after Collalto admitted guilt in a series of calculated wildlife violations stretching from 2011 to 2012.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig R. Gestring and Tiffany H. Lee, Collalto exploited his status as a reptile enthusiast to build and improve his private collection through illegal means. Federal records show he traveled to southern New Jersey twice to collect protected species, including a gravid corn snake—an animal classified as endangered under New Jersey law—and a Coastal Plains milk snake, designated a species of special concern.

In another instance, Collalto received three California mountain kingsnakes via commercial parcel delivery from Oregon, where the animals had been taken in violation of state law. He also attended a reptile show in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, where he acquired a Northern pine snake—a species protected under New Jersey law—through an illegal trade.

The case was the product of a targeted investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, led by Honora Gordon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Northeast Region. Authorities say Collalto’s actions weren’t isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of exploiting regulatory gaps in the exotic pet trade.

Collalto’s guilty plea underscores the federal government’s increasing scrutiny of wildlife trafficking, even in non-traditional criminal contexts. Though the crimes may seem niche, the Lacey Act violations carry serious penalties, reflecting national efforts to combat the underground trade of protected species—no matter the mode or motive.