Calvin Bautista, a resident of Richmond Hill in Queens, was arraigned on Tuesday, Oct. 4, on an indictment charging him with smuggling three Burmese pythons into the United States at the Champlain Port of Entry, according to United States Attorney Carla Freedman.
The US Attorney's Office said Bautista smuggled the snakes in his pants during a bus ride across the border.
The charge filed against Bautista carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years, Freedman said.
Bautista was released pending his trial, the US Attorney's Office said.
The investigation was conducted by the US Fish & Wildlife Service and US Customs and Border Protection, according to the report.
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