Former Connecticut Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Transporting Protected Wildlife
By: Grimy Times
Bridgeport, Connecticut – A former Cheshire, Connecticut resident has pleaded guilty to charges of illegally transporting protected wildlife. William Carl Bartlett, 65, of Eastpoint, Florida, pleaded guilty on February 28, 2018, to two counts of illegally transporting protected wildlife.
Bartlett, a snake and reptile collector, collected a male and female Outer Banks kingsnake from the Outer Banks in North Carolina in violation of North Carolina law. The Outer Banks kingsnake is designated as a species of special concern in North Carolina. Bartlett then bred the snakes in Connecticut.
Bartlett also transported five Coastal Plain milk snakes from the Chesapeake Forest and the Pocomoke River State Forest in Worcester County, Maryland, to his home in Connecticut between April 29 and May 13, 2015. The snakes were collected in violation of Maryland law.
Bartlett faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years and a fine of up to $20,000. He was released on bond pending sentencing.
The matter is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement and Division of Refuge Law Enforcement, and the Maryland Natural Resources Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Bartlett is a former resident of Cheshire, Connecticut, and currently resides in Eastpoint, Florida. He pleaded guilty to the charges on February 28, 2018, in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The defendant’s exact criminal charges are two counts of illegally transporting protected wildlife. The sentencing is scheduled for February 28, 2018.
The case highlights the importance of enforcing laws protecting wildlife and the consequences of violating these laws.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Wildlife Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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