MacInnes and Keszey, Reptile Trafficking, Florida 2013
Two Florida men were sentenced to prison for their role in trafficking protected reptiles.
A federal judge in Philadelphia sentenced Robroy MacInnes, 55, of Inverness, Florida to 18 months in prison and Robert Keszey, 48, of Bushnell, Florida to 12 months in prison for their role in trafficking state and federally protected reptiles.
The defendants will also serve three years of supervised release. MacInnes was also sentenced to pay a $4,000 fine and Keszey will pay a $2,000 fine.
The charges stem from an investigation that found MacInnes and Keszey, who co-owned Glades Herp Farm Inc., a well-known reptile dealership, collected protected snakes from the wild in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, purchased protected eastern timber rattlesnakes that had been illegally collected from the wild in New York, and transported eastern indigo snakes, which are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, from Florida to Pennsylvania.
The protected rattlesnakes were destined for sale at reptile shows in Europe, where a single timber rattlesnake can sell for up to $800. The eastern indigos were intended for domestic sale where a single snake is worth up to $1,000.
In addition to trafficking in illegal animals, the defendants attempted to persuade a witness not to provide the government with information regarding their illegal dealings.
The eastern timber rattlesnake is a species of venomous pit viper native to the eastern United States, and is listed as threatened in New York. It is also illegal to possess an eastern timber rattlesnake without a permit in Pennsylvania.
The eastern indigo snake, the longest native North American snake species, is listed as threatened by both Florida and federal law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, with assistance from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environmental Crimes Section of the Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Kay Costello of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Both MacInnes and Keszey were convicted on Nov. 15, 2013 after a jury trial in Philadelphia.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Wildlife Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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