HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A Maryland man is facing charges after authorities say he tried to sell an extremely venomous snake on Craigslist.
Joshua Lee Roberts, 36, of Hagerstown, was arrested on May 27 after officers with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police noticed his posting on Craigslist and arranged to purchase the male West African Bush Viper.
Roberts faces a maximum fine of $1,000, the police department said in a post on its Facebook page.
The snake was seized and transported to Catoctin Wildlife Preserve in Thurmont, Maryland, until a permanent home can be located.
"The venom of the West African Bush Viper is primarily hemotoxic and potentially life-threatening," the police department said. "There is no antivenom."
It is illegal to sell or keep a venomous snake as a pet in Maryland, the police department said.
