Four Face Charges In Theft Of Animals From Reptile Expo

Based on a article by Steve Reeves of the Charleston Post and Courier, 7/28/04



Four people have been charged with last weekend's theft of dozens of rare snakes

and amphibians, from a reptile show held over the weekend at the fairgrounds in

Ladson.

At time of the writing of this article authorities could not find the stolen

animals and received no help from the defendants. It's believed the thieves

already might have sold the animals. Arrested were Shannon Payne, 23, Steven V.

Baker, 24, Randall R. Byrd, 17, and Joshua M. Cabrera, 16, who is being charged

as an adult. They are being charged with stealing more than $21,000 worth of

animals and more than $3,000 in jewelry.

Among the animals stolen were albino Burmese pythons, hognose snakes, wood

turtles and hatchling pancake turtles. Alan Bosch, owner of Alan Bosch Reptiles

in Moncks Corner, lost about $3,000 worth of reptiles in the burglary. Sheriff

Al Cannon said the motive was easy to discern. "It's a different kind of theft,

a different kind of commodity, but the underlying theme is still the same:

greed."

Robert Constantinou, an organizer of the Lowcountry Reptile and Amphibian Expo,

said as exotic animals grow in popularity, thieves are increasingly targeting

them.

"Exotic animals are the fastest growing animal market in the world, hands down,"

he said. "We take all the precautions we can to prevent thefts, but where

there's a will, there's a way."

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