A man who authorities said had a frightening assortment of snakes in his East Brainerd apartment was given pre-trial diversion in General Sessions Court on Thursday.
Branden T. Piercy appeared before Judge Bob Moon in the case in which authorities said they removed 14 snakes from the Hamilton Pointe apartment on East Brainerd Road.
They left behind a large python, which is legal to possess in Tennessee.
But they took several copperheads, cottonmouth water moccasins, pgymy rattlesnakes and timber rattlesnakes.
Hamilton County Wildlife Officer Matt Majors said Piercy is cooperating with officials in an investigation of the Georgia man who supplied the snakes to him.
Kenneth Boyd of city Animal Services said he went to Piercy's apartment after getting word that the apartment contained a large number of snakes.
Officer Boyd said, "As soon as I went in, I was within six inches of a copperhead and a cottonmouth."
He said he removed those two snakes during the July 10 visit, then contacted Officer Majors.
The snakes were taken to the Tennessee Aquarium, where they are still being held.
Officer Majors said the snakes may remain there or eventually go to some similar facility or zoo. He said they will not be returned to the wild.
He said the snakes were in some of 30-40 different containers and cages spread around the apartment.
The charges against Piercy will be dismissed if he gets in no further trouble for a year. He was required to pay court costs in three of the cases.
Judge Moon asked Piercy, "Don't you have a dog or a cat?" Officers said they did spot some cats at the apartment.
The judge directed Piercy to no longer possession "snakes or even a rubber snake."
Officer Majors said during the visit to the Piercy apartment "he did have a big rubber snake on the kitchen floor. It about scared me to death."