July 22 is the day that the newspaper article states that 160 snakes were confiscated/rescued from Steve's store. The link the very first post of this thread is broken, but here's the link to the newest article written 12/24/08:
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b3_1snakes.6720123dec24,0,6744411.story
Steve,
I don't understand why you haven't came right out and gave your theory on what all took place about the confiscation date discrepancies, who did what, when. This is what I've been trying to nail down and I think I've finally got it. Correct me if/where I'm wrong.
Your girlfriend began removing snakes April 16. When she got to the store on April 21 all snakes were gone and you said you believe your landlord had someone remove them. You (or your girlfriend) also mentioned that the store looked ransacked, as if someone had broken in.
You posted an e-mail from Jesse Rothacker in post# 275 that was dated April 26. In that e-mail Jesse said that he was contacted by
"...a local environmental center and your landlord, saying the power was out and you were locked up and the animals were in trouble." He suggested they contact someone that lived closer & they said they would.
Seems to me that you may believe that your landlord had Chris Foley remove the snakes on or before April 21. Sometime after that the landlord may have realized what they did was illegal so they arranged to take the snakes back to the store, call proper authorities & the press and do it legally.
Mr Foley, as you have suggested, may just be an innocent victim of your landlord's mistake of having the snakes removed without following proper procedures. If so, and the authorities were aware that the snakes were removed illegally to begin with, I can see them advising him to not incriminate himself by answering any questions outside of a court of law. And I surely wouldn't blame Mr. Foley for heeding that advice.
Based on everything that's been posted so far I feel that if your landlord did have the snakes removed on or before April 21, his motives were either out of concern for the snakes' health (as referrenced in Jesse Rothacker's message to you) and/or the desire to get the building cleaned out so he could get another rentor in there so the landlord could pay his bills.
I don't see any evidence of the landlord's desire to acquire the snakes for personal gain. (I'm not saying that you're accusing him of such, either.) Nor do I see any evidence of the police, animal services or any other governmental agency conspiring illegal procedures or approving of illegal procedures. From what's been posted in this thread and from the newspaper article, I think it's likely that the landlord may have mentioned to authorities about his having the snakes removed already and they could have informed him that that was illegal.
In some ways that could be considered as approval or turning a blind eye, but, police usually wouldn't get involved in such cases unless there was a complaint filed. You would have to file that complaint. Besides, stories of abused/neglected animals easily when the hearts of many.
I may be way off base. It won't be the first time, nor the last.
Ms Wolf White,
I owe you an apology for my last reply to you. I am sorry for the sharp comment.
Michael Sanders