850 snakes found in Long Island home

Also, turtles, and at least three tarantulas

Published September 19, 2013 9:30PM (EDT)

Burmese python   (Wikimedia Commons)
Burmese python (Wikimedia Commons)

An animal control officer on disability decided to supplement his income by illegally selling snakes and reptiles out of his garage. When authorities raided Richard Parrinello's Long Island home today, according to Newsday, they found a total of 850 snakes inside the house and its detached two-car garage.

Imagine, for a moment, what it was like to be the person in charge of counting.

Authorities began investigating Parrinello for disability fraud when they happened upon the menagerie. He faces charges for owning the illegal pythons and "violating town codes by running a business at his home and without a permit." The pythons will be relocated to a Massachusetts sanctuary, but the rest will be allowed to stay for now.

Apparently, no one was tipped off by the two vans in his driveway (presumably, they couldn't fit in the garage on account of all the snakes in there) with license plates reading "SNAKEVAN" and "SSSSNAKE."

 


By Lindsay Abrams

MORE FROM Lindsay Abrams


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

New York Snakes