I just received the following from Chuck explaining exactly what happens.
I was enlisted to put on a “Native venomous snakes of GA” display at the 2011 Repticon Atlanta Show. This required me to transport live venomous snakes representing this group from my home Gate City, VA to Atlanta, GA.
On Saturday night after the show, I received a phone call telling me that Wade Westbrook had been bitten by a copperhead and passed away. I later found out that the funeral arrangements were for 230pm on the following Tuesday. I had a prior engagement that kept me south of Chattanooga until that Tuesday morning, so I decided to route home thru Chattanooga to attend the funeral.
I had not had an opportunity to return to VA, so the snake display from the show was still in my position. After the funeral on Tuesday, I visited with some friends and fellow snake enthusiast in East Ridge, TN. They invited me to stay the night and I did so. The following day, we wanted to have lunch together. In order to fit everyone in my car, we removed the box containing my snake display and left it at their house.
After lunch, I returned home and dropped off my friends. I left the home to go visit another friend that lived in the local area. I was to return in a couple hours and pick up my belongings, including the snake display and return home to VA. During the time I was visiting my friend, Tennessee Wildlife Officials raided the homes of my friends, impounding some snakes belonging to them and my native GA venomous display.
Wildlife officials retrieved my card from the display box and called me. I explained that the snakes are housed in VA and I have been in GA doing a lecture on native venomous. The official told me if I would come and meet with them, we could clear everything up and he would return my snakes and allow me to take them to VA.
I agreed to meet and went to the location they asked me to meet them at. I gave them my statement and all the information they asked for. They asked me to provide names of other people in TN keeping venomous snakes, but I did not know any.
Rather than returning my snakes as promised, they placed me under arrest and took me to the Hamilton County jail. It was several hours before I could meet with the magistrate. He reviewed the charges and immediately released my on my own recognizance. After I was released, it took till early morning to process my case, because TWRA had charged me with 48 separate charges arising from my 12 snakes they had impounded.
I was finally released and I returned to my home in VA with a court date for the following week. My arrested was in no way connected to the death of Wade Westbrook. I was aware that venomous snakes could not be housed in TN, however, I was not aware that they could not be transported thru the state.
