Cops: During pot arrest, Cherokee deputies find 7 suspected illegal rattlesnakes
Deputies said they found marijuana plants growing inside a Canton home Saturday during a wellness check — but that’s not what surprised them the most.
They also found nine live rattlesnakes, at least seven of which are suspected of being illegally obtained, inside the house off Goodwin Road, Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark McKinnon told AJC.com.
A game warden with the DNR was called in to remove the snakes, McKinnon said. Two of them were eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, and the other seven were southwestern speckled rattlesnakes, which are not native to Georgia.
While it is possible to legally own venomous snakes that are native to Georgia, only zoos and select education and research facilities can obtain wild animal permits to house non-native venomous snakes, McKinnon said. He said southwestern speckled rattlesnakes cannot be kept as pets in Georgia.
Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad agents were called in to seize the plants in addition to marijuana found inside a freezer, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Richard Rolands, 55, of Canton, was arrested and charged with manufacturing marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, the release said.
McKinnon said charges regarding the snakes are likely, but the investigation is ongoing.
Rolands remains in the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center without bond, the release said.
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About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
