(CBS 5 NEWS) - A valley man who use to call himself the 'Reptile Buster' and ran J & R Reptile Rescue Company is now facing a federal indictment.
Jeff Almond is accused of illegally possessing and transporting protected reptiles.
Almond already was charged under state law- he was fined and stripped of his permits and licenses. Now the federal government is going after him, and the punishment could be much more stringent.
Almond was often called upon by people who found snakes and other reptiles in their yards and didn't know what to do with them.
When he was busted last year by state officials he was over his limit of native species.
Sources tell us he had 75 venomous animals in his possession, and a large number of those were Gila monsters.
Almond was fined and stripped of his permits and licenses.
Now he faces two federal charges for taking restricted wildlife out of the state. The maximum penalty for these charges is up to $100,000 and six months in jail.
Of the 75 venomous animals in Almond's possession last year at least 38 have been relocated to homes or zoos. The feds are still holding the few he's accused of taking out of the state.
Almond has a trial date set for May 3.
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