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.

But police thought that story was for the birds. They said someone made 200 calls to 911 from Hill's cell phone on June 23 alone — and they didn't believe it was a pet.

"The calls did not stop," West Palm Beach police spokeswoman Dena Kimberlin said in a news release about the case.

In the various calls Hill, 22, made from his cell phone, he offered a variety of fake stories, police said.

Hill allegedly claimed an officer had been shot, and in other calls, he warned he wanted to shoot a police officer with a "bow and arrow." In other calls, he simply made animal noises, police said.

Police said the tying up the emergency system was no laughing matter.

"These calls have caused many 911 operators to waste time with Hill, hindering their ability to dispatch police and fire department personnel to true emergencies," said Kimberlin.

He was charged with misuse of the wireless 911 system.

Bank Robber Couldn’t Cut It

S P R I N G F I E L D, Mo., July 2 — Knife-wielding bank robber? Kevin Hopkins isn't impressed.

Hopkins foiled a holdup attempt at Springfield's Empire Bank on June 24, police said.

Hopkins was in the bank when he noticed something a little strange. "There was a young man coming through the door pulling a black ski mask over his head," he said.

The masked man approached a teller and demanded money. Hopkins walked over and informed the man the bank teller didn't need to be robbed.

"At first he ignored me and repeated the demand to Jamie [the teller], I believe, and at that time I told him to get out. We didn't need this, to get out, and to get out now," Hopkins said.

The robber decided it was time to scare off this busybody.

"He said, 'I have a knife.' I told him, 'I have a knife,' and I pulled out this little utility that I carry around with me during work," Hopkins said. "He looked for a second and at that point he made the decision to leave."

The robber fled without any money. Police arrested a suspect, identified as 20-year-old Dustin Aaron Jolley, 45 minutes later.

Crime Blotter, a weekly feature of ABCNEWS.com, is compiled by Oliver Libaw.

ABCNEWS affiliate KMGH in Denver contributed to this report.