- Chaoyi Le, 28, was arrested in April 2014 after Canadian border agents discovered three live albino western hognose snakes hidden in his socks
- On the same day, Le mailed seven live ball pythons from Amherst to Shanghai
- The Chinese citizen, who lives in Mississauga, Canada, pleaded guilty to violating wildlife regulations on Tuesday and faces up to five years in prison
- The three hognose snakes were worth $500 and pythons were worth $3,300
- Authorities say he was trying to avoid a U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspection
Chaoyi Le was arrested after Canadian border agents found three live albino western hognose snakes in his socks (stock image)
A man who was caught traveling from New York to Canada with three live snakes in his socks has pleaded guilty.
Chaoyi Le, 28, was arrested in April 2014 at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge in western New York after Canadian border agents discovered three live albino western hognose snakes worth $500 hidden in his socks.
On the same day, Le mailed seven live ball pythons from Amherst to Shanghai through the U.S. mail, using the fake name Ben Fan, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Le submitted a form that falsely declared the package contained belts, candy and chocolate with a value of $80, officials said. At the time, the ball pythons had an approximate value of $3,300.
Le also mailed seven live ball pythons from Amherst to Shanghai through the U.S. mail. At the time, the ball pythons had an approximate value of $3,300 (stock image)
The package was recovered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and inspected on May 3, 2014, prosecutors said.
At first, Le said he’d found them in a New York park, but eventually admitted buying them.
Authorities say Le, a Chinese citizen who lives in Mississauga, Ontario, was trying to avoid a U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspection.
He pleaded guilty to violating wildlife regulations on Tuesday and faces up to five years in prison.
Le’s sentencing hearing is set for October 30.