Talk about a package that should be marked “Handle With Care.”
A federal judge sentenced Ashtyn Michael Rance to 33 months Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to illegally shipping 15 venomous snakes from Valdosta, Georgia, to Florida in May 2018. The snakes were eventually to be trafficked to China, according to a Department of Justice release.
The 35-year-old reptile dealer admitted he falsely labeled the package as containing harmless reptiles. The Gaboon vipers, originally from central Africa, were worth approximately $900. Gaboon vipers have the longest fangs of any venomous snake, and their bite can be fatal, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.
Rance had legally imported 100 Gaboon vipers and other venomous snakes from Africa to Atlanta, but possessed and sold the reptiles in violation of Georgia laws.
Rance, a convicted felon, also admitted to unlawfully owning multiple firearms at his Georgia home.
• Peter Santo can be reached at psanto@washingtontimes.com.
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