Cheshire Man Illegally Transported Kingsnakes: Feds

CHESHIRE, CT — A former Cheshire resident faces prison time after pleading guilty to illegally transporting kingsnakes to other states, according to authorities. William Carl Bartlett, 65, of Eastpoint Florida, pleaded guilty this week in Bridgeport federal court to two counts of illegally transporting protected wildlife, U.S. States Attorney John H. Durham announced in a press release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Bartlett is a snake and reptile collector and in July 2012, he shipped via overnight mail courier 10 Outer Banks kingsnakes from Connecticut to an individual in Emporium, Pennsylvania.

Prior to that date, Bartlett collected a male and female kingsnake from the Outer Banks in violation of North Carolina law, according to authorities. In North Carolina, the Outer Banks kingsnake is designated as a species of special concern. Bartlett then bred the snakes in Connecticut.

Between April 29 and May 13, 2015, Bartlett 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. The snakes were collected in violation of Maryland law, authorities said.

Bartlett faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years and a fine of up to $20,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 28, 2018. Bartlett is released on bond pending sentencing.

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