Snake-in-mailbox joke comes back to bite prankster

CharlieJ · #1 (**permalink**) 07-18-2006, 12:22 PM

Snake-in-mailbox joke comes back to bite prankster
Farmington Hills man faces charges after shocking postal carrier with pet boa constrictor.
Paul Egan / http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...607180324/1003

FARMINGTON HILLS -- A man who tried to play a joke on his female postal carrier by placing a 6-foot boa constrictor in his mailbox is facing criminal charges and up to six months in prison.

"It was an incredibly stupid practical joke that wasn't funny," said James Rutherford Mell, 31. The Farmington Hills auto mechanic put the snake in his mailbox July 7. "I thought it was funny. Looking back on it, it isn't, and it wasn't." Federal officials charged Mell on Monday with obstructing the delivery of the U.S. mail -- a criminal offense that carries a possible fine and up to six months in prison.

U.S. postal worker Nakeema Anderson was making her rounds on Kendallwood Drive in Farmington Hills when she opened Mell's mailbox and was confronted with the massive snake, according to court records.

"Anderson reported observing a white male in the driveway laughing," according to a report filed by U.S. postal inspector Andrew Gottfried. Mell wrote Anderson a letter of apology and said he hoped that would be the end of the matter. But postal officials, who could not be reached for comment Monday, treated the issue seriously.

"It was something stupid that a 10-year-old would do, and I'm sorry," Mell said. The snake, which he keeps as a pet, is not poisonous, does not bite and has tiny teeth, so Anderson was not in any danger, he said. "It will only strike at something that it can actually eat."

Sleepy_FF · #2 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 06:49 AM

i love how it was a boa constrictor that he put in the mailbox, but its a ball python that is shown

Heidi · #3 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 10:43 AM

Thier boa model took a personal day.

rickyduckworth · #4 (**permalink**) 07-29-2006, 10:41 PM

so if convicted, he could get 6 months in prison....but the convicted child molester who was like 4' tall was too short for prison and only got 10 years PROBATION for ruining a kids life.....

but the mail is way more important

wisherp · #5 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 01:26 AM

yeah that is messed up people like that should not own reptiles. I have enough trouble going to schools and teaching people that reptiles are animals to love not hate then you get people like that guy that puts the fear right back into people ii hope he does get six months in prison.

python kid · #6 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 03:09 AM

me and my friend put a dead lizard in someones mailbox.It wasn't really funny because we never got to see the look on their face when they opened the mailbox.

Nonconformist · #7 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 05:10 PM

He's not going to get any jail time over this. He'll have probation more than likely. Probation SUCKS and costs a bloody fortune. He's going to be hemmoraging cash for awhile, but I would be SHOCKED if he gets any real time. Only way he gets jail time is if he was already in trouble with the law anyway. You'll never hear how he gets sentenced because it's just not a story.

bcfos1 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-31-2006, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nonconformist

He's not going to get any jail time over this. He'll have probation more than likely. Probation SUCKS and costs a bloody fortune. He's going to be hemmoraging cash for awhile, but I would be SHOCKED if he gets any real time. Only way he gets jail time is if he was already in trouble with the law anyway. You'll never hear how he gets sentenced because it's just not a story.

Yeah but he will get Federal Probation which is not as bad as any state probation. The feds have a pretty easy probation deal unless you get some sort of RICO charge and get out of prison on that and go on probation. Then it is a royal pain.

DedEye · #9 (**permalink**) 07-31-2006, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlieJ

The snake, which he keeps as a pet, is not poisonous, does not bite and has tiny teeth, so Anderson was not in any danger, he said. "It will only strike at something that it can actually eat."

Is that actually true? I was under the impression that they can bite and that it can draw blood. I'm just curious, I have never owned any snakes but have been bitten by almost every lizard I've ever owned, whether or not they had tiny teeth and regardless of my size.

Anyway I would like to see him get some sort of punishment, if for no other reason than because it was such a stupid thing to do.

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