WLEX (Lexington, Kentucky) 31 March 08 Man Charged With Owning Alligators, Poisonous Snakes

A Taylor County man is facing 25 counts of illegally importing wildlife into Kentucky and possessing inherently dangerous animals after Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources conservation officers discovered venomous snakes and alligators at his Campbellsville home Friday.

Freddy Stone, 36, is charged with 15 counts of transporting wildlife into Kentucky without a transportation permit and 10 counts of possessing inherently dangerous animals.

Police seized six western diamondback rattlesnakes, a gaboon viper, a king cobra, a timber rattlesnake, an iguana, two monitor lizards, two alligators, a boa constrictor and a python from Stone's Mt. Carmel Church Road residence.

Stone was not home during the search and seizure that resulted from a tip, and Stone's wife told officers he was in a Louisville hospital having fingers amputated after suffering a snakebite.

Officers then spoke with Stone by phone, and he claimed ownership of the illegal species.

Stone is scheduled to appear in Taylor District Court April 14.
Man Charged With Owning Alligators, Poisonous Snakes

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• KY Press: Man Charged - Owning Poisonous - W von Papineäu, Tue Apr 1 19:19:23 2008