Connecticut authorities seized 49 reptiles — 46 of them venomous — from a Hamden warehouse during a June 24 raid, recovering rattlesnakes, vipers, a cobra, two anacondas and a water monitor. The animals were secured by an accredited herpetologist and transferred to a licensed facility for health screenings. Two New Haven men, Brian Roman and Tyler Foster, both 26, face dozens of charges related to illegal possession; Roman was released on a $5,000 bond. Foster also faces an unrelated trespass warrant and is due to enter a plea in August.
Rattlesnakes, a Cobra and Two Anacondas: 49 Reptiles Seized in Connecticut Warehouse; Two Men Charged
A labeled Arizona black rattlesnake in an enclosure with an identification card displayed in frontCredit: The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Environmental Conservation Police
Connecticut authorities say they seized 49 reptiles — including 46 venomous snakes, two anacondas and a water monitor — from a warehouse in Hamden after executing a search-and-seizure warrant on June 24.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Police carried out the raid at a storage facility on Sherman Avenue as the culmination of a lengthy investigation into the illegal possession of venomous snakes, the agency said in a statement shared on the Connecticut State Police Facebook page.
A yellow anaconda in a glass enclosure with a label indicating it was seizedCredit: The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Environmental Conservation Police
Animals Removed and Secured
Working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Special Investigations, officers recovered 49 animals in total: 46 venomous snakes (including rattlesnakes, vipers and at least one cobra), two anacondas and a single water monitor lizard. DEEP emphasized that these reptiles are classified as dangerous and are prohibited from possession in Connecticut without the required permits.
Officials said an accredited herpetologist safely secured and transported the animals to a licensed facility, where each animal underwent a health screening.
Charges And Suspects
Authorities identified two New Haven residents in connection with the case. Brian Roman, 26, who officials say owned the building, surrendered to Connecticut State Police Troop I on July 30. He was charged with 49 counts of illegal possession of a wild animal without a permit and 13 counts of taking an endangered or threatened species, and was released on a $5,000 court-set bond.
[L-R] Tyler Foster and Brian RomanCredit: The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Environmental Conservation Police
Tyler Foster, also 26 and from New Haven, turned himself in at Troop I and faces the same charges; he was released on bond. Officials additionally said Foster was arrested during the search on an unrelated Environmental Conservation warrant alleging first-degree criminal trespass. That warrant reportedly stems from an alleged presence in a prohibited area on Aug. 24, 2025; Foster is scheduled to enter a plea on Aug. 17, according to the New Haven Register.
Agencies Involved
The operation was carried out jointly by DEEP's Environmental Conservation Police, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Special Investigations. Officials have said the animals are now housed at a licensed facility where they received health screenings and care.
PEOPLE reached out to Connecticut DEEP for additional comment.
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