WHEELING, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Wheeling man has pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking after admitting he illegally purchased and sold protected snakes, federal officials announced Friday.
Michael Kandis, 64, a reptile dealer who operates a reptile house in Wheeling, was caught during an undercover investigation into reptile shows across the Midwest.
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Authorities say Kandis illegally bought dozens of bullsnakes—native to Indiana, where their sale is prohibited by state law—and transported them to West Virginia, where he sold them.
The charges fall under the Lacey Act, a federal law that prohibits the sale and transport of wildlife that was obtained in violation of state or federal law.
Kandis now faces up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 or twice the amount gained or lost through the crime.
His sentence will be determined by a federal judge after review of sentencing guidelines.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maximillian Nogay and Trial Attorney Lauren D. Steele of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The investigation was led by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided over the case.
