PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — A Florida man has been sentenced to 100 hours of community service for illegally possessing turtles and turtle eggs.
Court records show that Michael Clemons pleaded guilty Friday in Charlotte County to taking or possessing more than one turtle per day and transporting more than one turtle or turtle eggs. He must also donate $250 to the state's Wildlife Alert Fund.
Prosecutors say Clemons was pulled over for running a stop sign in May, and deputies found 42 striped mud turtles and a softshell turtle in a "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" backpack during a search of the truck.
Officials say a passenger in the truck, Ariel Michelle Marchan-Le Quire, had a 1-foot alligator in her pants. She was sentenced last month to 200 hours of community service and a $500 donation.
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