The Brief
- A former reptile dealer has been sentenced after more than 100 exotic geckos were found abandoned in an Osceola County storage unit, where 41 were dead from neglect.
- Kelvin E. Soto, 48, pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty and was given four years of probation, 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay over $5,000 in restitution.
- He is also permanently banned from owning or handling animals.
ORLANDO, Fla. – A former licensed reptile dealer has been sentenced after more than 100 exotic reptiles were found abandoned in an Osceola County storage unit in 2023, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
What we know:
Investigators said 111 African fat-tailed geckos were discovered in filthy containers inside a storage unit that had been locked following nonpayment. Forty-one of the reptiles were dead, and none of the containers had food or water. Employees told investigators no one had visited the unit for at least two months.
FWC identified the suspect as Kelvin E. Soto, 48, a former reptile exhibitor whose license had expired. He was arrested in Virginia and extradited to Florida, where he faced charges of felony animal cruelty and confinement of animals without food or water.…