Franklin County man sentenced for illegally transporting protected snakes

March 5, 2018

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - A man who illegally collected endangered snakes and shipped them to his former home in Connecticut has been sentenced to three years' probation.

Federal prosecutors say William Carl Bartlett was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 300 hours of community service.

Prosecutors say Bartlett, a collector of snakes and other reptiles, took two kingsnakes from the Outer Banks of North Carolina in violation of the state's laws and brought them to Connecticut to breed. In July 2012, he shipped 10 kingsnakes via overnight courier to a person in Pennsylvania.

Authorities say he also collected five coastal plain milk snakes in Maryland in 2015 in violation of state law and brought them to Connecticut.

Bartlett formerly lived in Cheshire, Connecticut, but now lives in Eastpoint, Florida, which is in Franklin County.

December 8, 2017

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - A Florida man who illegally collected endangered snakes and shipped them to his former home in Connecticut has pleaded guilty.

William Carl Bartlett entered his plea for illegally transporting protected wildlife Wednesday in federal court.

Prosecutors say Bartlett, a collector of snakes and other reptiles, took two kingsnakes from the Outer Banks of North Carolina in violation of that state's laws and brought them to Connecticut to breed. In July 2012, he shipped 10 kingsnakes via overnight courier to a person in Pennsylvania.

Prosecutors say he also collected five coastal plain milk snakes in Maryland in 2015 in violation of state law and brought them to Connecticut.

Bartlett formerly lived in Cheshire, Connecticut, but now lives in Eastpoint, Florida, which is in Franklin County.

He faces up to two years in prison. His sentencing is set for February 28.