Fugitive snake breeder caught - David Beauchemin

Fugitive snake breeder caught (4/22)
Posted April 22, 2011 at 5:19 pm
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By DORIS MARICLE / AMERICAN PRESS

Texas authorities apprehended a former Oakdale man accused of operating a snake-breeding farm without proper permits and abusing animals left in his care.

Allen Parish officials said David Beauchemin, 45, has been on the run since September when he and his wife, Tawni, 24, failed to appear for arraignment in 33rd Judicial District Court. Tawni Beauchemin remains at large, authorities said.

Lt. Jerry Blaylock of the Wood County Sheriff’s Office said David Beauchemin is being held in the Wood County jail and is fighting extradition to Louisiana.

Texas officials said they may file charges against Beauchemin, who reportedly had more than 75 snakes in a cargo trailer on his property, in Quitman, Texas.

Blaylock said authorities went to Beauchemin’s residence Tuesday in response to a welfare concern. He said deputies “did not like the way he acted” and began investigating Beauchemin.

Deputies reportedly returned Wednesday to serve a bench warrant and discovered the cargo trailer. Blaylock said Beauchemin had been living in a motor home on the property for two to three months — under the alias of James Johnson — and may have been operating an Internet snake business.

The snakes have been transferred to the North Texas Humane Society of Austin and will be held there until a hearing next week, Blaylock said. If the Sheriff’s Office is awarded care of the snakes, they will be donated to the Humane Society or area zoos, he said.

The snakes included pythons, constrictors and anacondas — some measuring 15 to 20 feet, Blaylock said. Most appeared undernourished and were living in filthy conditions, he said. Many of the snakes seized are believed to be on the exotic snake list, meaning ownership of them required a permit, Blaylock said.

The Beauchemins were scheduled to be arraigned in September on 21 counts of simple cruelty to animals and one count of possession of snakes longer than 12 feet without a permit. They also face charges of violating interstate commerce laws by selling snakes that were not legal to possess; theft of less than $300 by fraud; telephone harassment; and cyberstalking.

They were arrested in March 2010 after authorities followed up on a complaint that they were illegally selling animals online.

The Beauchemins claim their home and snake-breeding business, High End Herps Inc., off Ward Line Road just south of Oakdale, were illegally searched and that they are wrongly accused of abusing animals. They also operated Happy Hounds Rescue at the same location.

During the raid, authorities reportedly found more than 200 snakes — some of them over 12 feet in length — and other animals. The snakes included pythons, many of them in the 16-to-19-foot range.

State legislators approved a measure last year that controls the buying, handling and selling of exotic snakes in Louisiana.

It requires permits for those who possess venomous snakes and those longer than 8 feet and licenses for those buying or handling poisonous snakes or constrictors for resale or propagation. Commercial snake businesses must be periodically checked for compliance with state law

http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blog...wssum/?p=18495

just for those of you in the STL, "and thats your headline hoosh, ye haw! "

Well it looks like someone decided to be stupid, got caught and is now butthurt.

I hope the snakes go to the human society and the other places where they can be properly cared for.
I dont care if snakes cant give you the obvious "aww im hurt" eyes, but dammit, they have feelings too just like dogs and cats.

My heart goes out to those at the humane society having to hold on to them. Thats a lot of work!

there's lots about David Heynen aka David Beauchemin aka Damon Smith aka Brian Smith on the BOI, the latest and greatest thread is located here:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...ad.php?t=82459