Volusia man arrested for illegally keeping rattlesnake

For immediate release: April 25, 2012
Media contact: Joy Hill, 352-258-3426

Volusia man arrested for illegally keeping rattlesnake
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Jeff Gier arrested a De Leon Springs man recently for keeping an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake in his house without a venomous reptile permit.

Gier arrested Brett Russel Cain (DOB 02/05/87) of 112 West Davis St., around 6 p.m. April 20 for six violations pertaining to the 3-foot-long snake. He made the arrest while Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies were serving a search warrant at Cain’s address relating to drugs.

The FWC has strict requirements for anyone who wishes to possess venomous reptiles. The requirements protect both the public and the reptile. Cain is facing the following charges:
§  Possession of a venomous reptile without a permit;
§  Unlocked cage containing a venomous reptile;
§  No protocol in place in case of a bite;
§  No information on the cage identifying the venomous reptile;
§  No Critical Incident Plan;
§  No records of how the snake was acquired.

Each charge is a second-degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail and $500 fine per charge. Gier safely released the snake into the wild after the arrest.