ALBANY, N.Y. — A New York City man is facing federal charges after prosecutors said he smuggled three Burmese pythons in his pants at a U.S-Canadian border crossing.
Calvin Bautista, 36, is accused of bringing the hidden snakes on a bus that crossed the border into northern New York on July 15, 2018. Importation of Burmese pythons is regulated by an international treaty and by federal regulations listing them as “injurious to human beings."
Bautista, of Queens, was arraigned in Albany on Tuesday on the smuggling charge and released pending trial, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman's office.
An email seeking comment was sent to Bautista's lawyer.
The charge carries the potential for up to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, according to federal prosecutors.
