UNION-LEADER (Manchester, New Hampshire) 16 May 07 Derry duo accused of pilfering pythons (Russ Choma)
Kevin McCurley has thousands of snakes, so when a python or two disappear, it might not be noticed for a while, even if they are 8 to 10 feet long, like the two apparently stolen from his Plaistow snake-breeding company last year.
But their disappearance was noticed when the two genetically unique snakes started appearing advertised for sale on various snake-aficionado Web sites. Now two Derry residents, Brad Bilodeau, 28, and Sara VanCoppenolle, 25, both of 155 North Shore Road, are facing felony charges accusing them of having a hand in the disappearance of the snakes and possibly thousands of dollars of other pet supplies.
According to McCurley, who owns New England Reptile Distributors and Zoo World, in Plaistow, Bilodeau was an employee when he is alleged to have stolen a granite back retic python.
McCurley said he created the snake through careful breeding and it was never intended for sale. The snake possesses certain genetic qualities that, if bred properly, would create "even more extreme-looking animals,'' so when the snake showed up for sale on several Web sites, including in a forum on one run by McCurley, it was obvious someone had pilfered it, McCurley said.
"It stuck out like a sore thumb,'' he said. "There's not many of them, so when you hear about those animals being shown or offered somewhere else you know where they came from.''
Bilodeau was indicted by a Rockingham County grand jury on one felony count of theft by receiving stolen property for his alleged involvement in stealing the granite back retic python. He was indicted on a second felony count of theft by unauthorized taking for stealing pet food, supplies, toys and a second snake, a super tiger python.
VanCoppenolle was indicted on one count of theft by unauthorized taking for allegedly taking part in the thefts.
McCurley compared the theft of such unique snakes to stealing trade secrets.
"It's a project that we're working on to see what ultimately happens (breeding) them,'' McCurley said. "And when (Bilodeau allegedly) took them he gave himself a pretty good leg up.''
When the snakes disappeared, they were probably 8 to 10 feet long, McCurley said. The reticulated python can grow up to 18 feet, he said. Neither snake, or any of the offspring hatched when the pair were bred, have been recovered.

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