This happened in Aurora, Illinois?
It very well make the news, and the snake might be confiscated.
This is from the city's Animal Control Division web page:
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>
Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Sec. 9-15-14. Dangerous animals.
(a) No person shall own, keep or harbor within the city:
(1) Any snake, reptile or lizard that is physically capable of injuring any person, regardless of age, by bite, poison, constriction or other means;</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
from
Here
I could not see what legal action could be taken, but it doesn't sound good.
(the town's name rang a bell - looked it up, earlier this year in Aurora, CO, a man was killed by a burm - but patrick's profile said he was in IL)