Caught in a sting, a Lake Zurich man was arrested last month after he tried to sell two poisonous copperhead snakes and a puff adder for $300 to undercover authorities in the parking lot of the Gurnee Mills mall, authorities said Tuesday.
Authorities found nine more poisonous snakes in the home of Kenneth R. Jaros, 23, who was charged with possession of dangerous animals, said Sgt. Scott Siddens of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Jaros also was charged with commercialization of state resources, in this case the unauthorized sale of the reptiles, authorities said. Both charges are misdemeanors.
"There are people throughout the country who are enthusiasts of reptiles," Siddens said. "Some people steer off into the venomous snakes. If they do, there are laws they have to comply with."
Authorities learned about Jaros through an Internet site, where he was trying to sell poisonous snakes, Siddens said.
Department of Natural Resources officials posed as buyers and arrested Jaros on Dec. 16 after he turned over the snakes in the parking lot, Siddens said. Gurnee police helped with the arrest.
It is illegal to own or sell a poisonous snake in Illinois without a U.S. Department of Agriculture permit, Siddens said. Snakes also are regulated under the Illinois Dangerous Animals Act.
A copperhead can be up to 3 feet long, is reddish or copper in color and isn't considered aggressive, officials said. A puff adder, common in Africa, can be yellow, gray and brown and up to 6 feet long. Both snakes possess a deadly venom.
Authorities don't know where Jaros got the reptiles, Siddens said.
"He had them in cages," Siddens said. "The gentleman was very cooperative in turning them over so we could get them to the appropriate people's hands to care for them."
In his home, authorities found two rhino vipers, two West African gaboon vipers and five eyelash vipers, Siddens said.
Jaros couldn't be reached for comment.
In recent years, the Natural Resources Department has arrested several people for illegally owning poisonous snakes, Siddens said.
"We don't make a dozen arrests a year based on these things," he said. "But there is a market out there, albeit an underground market, for people who collect venomous snakes."
The confiscated snakes were turned over to an agency that Siddens declined to identify.
Jaros, released on a signature bond, could face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine if convicted. He is scheduled to return to court March 2.
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