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North Carolina man faces felony charges for possessing 216 Venus flytraps

Posted at 10:55 AM, Mar 21, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-21 10:55:18-04

BRUNSWICK Co., N.C. — A North Carolina man faces felony charges after officers found him with 216 Venus flytraps, WWAY reports.

Archie Lee Williams Jr., 41, of Bolivia, N.C., is looking at 73 counts of felony taking of a Venus flytrap.

The Venus flytrap is listed as a special concern and vulnerable plant on the North Carolina Protected Plant Species list.

North Carolina Wildlife Master Officer John White said tips came in for a month before they were able to catch the suspect, adding that it is difficult to track suspects down when they travel from area to area, WWAY reports.

On Saturday, White learned that Venus flytraps were being poached at the Brunswick County Game Land, near Bolivia, and found Williams getting into his vehicle.

Williams is being held at the Brunswick County Detention Center under a $750,000 bond.

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