Man Busted for 98 Cobras, Vipers, Rattlers

— -- Snake Pit

D E N V E R, July 2 — Brook Berntson's poisonous snake collection is apparently coming back to bite him.

Berntson was a big fan of dangerous reptiles and firearms, police say. Berntson, 36, allegedly had 98 of the world's most poisonous snakes in his home, along with an AK-47 and Bushmaster XM-15 assault rifles.

Among the slithering beasts were rattlesnakes, vipers and cobras, authorities claim.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raided Berntson's home on June 28 as part of a two-year investigation into snake trafficking in the area.

It is illegal in Colorado to keep a poisonous snake without a license.

Berntson's girlfriend, Cindy Jahn, defended him, saying that the guns were hers and the snakes were very well cared for.

"This is his dream, nobody's letting him do it. And we know the laws here but we actually thought in Firestone [a town about 25 miles north of Denver] we were OK, because there is no ordinance. But then it doesn't make sense, because the state doesn't allow it," she said.

Undercover agents posed as snake lovers in order to buy of a pair of Western hognose snakes from Berntson for $1,000, according to court documents in the case.

Berntson allegedly told them he kept about 100 snakes in his basement and started breeding them so he could sell to other collectors on the black market.

He is charged with being a felon in possession of firearms, and authorities are considered additional charges relating to his deadly reptile collection.

If convicted, Berntson could face 10 years in federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

The seized snakes were being held at the Denver Zoo and some may become a permanent part of the zoo's reptile collection, because they are so rare and dangerous.

The Bird Who Cried Wolf

W E S T P A L M B E A C H, Fla., July 2 — These birdcalls the police could have done without.

Police say Howard Hill Jr. made more than 900 bogus 911 calls in the past two months. When police finally questioned him, he blamed the delinquent dialing on his pet bird, Jimmy.