MS Eatery Owner Accused of Serving Snake as Meal

SHELBY — A cottonmouth moccasin is not considered a Mississippi Delta delicacy, but police here say the owner of a combo grocery store and restaurant apparently tried to serve the snake as a meal to his customers.

The owner of James Quality Market is under investigation for possible criminal code violations for sales of a non-game species, municipal court clerk Cecilia Bland said Friday. Police would not identify the market owner until their investigation is complete.

Officers say the store owner purchased a dead snake from a city worker and prepared to serve customers.

Eddie Boone, the city worker, was cleaning streets when he noticed the cottonmouth moccasin. He killed it with a pipe.

"He was gonna get me so I had to get him first," Boone said.

Boone carried the dead snake across the street near James Quality Market to show it off. He said the store owner "came out and asked me if he could buy the snake for a dollar."

"I did not think anything about it so I sold it to him," Boone said. "I did not know that he would try to serve it to people."

Police Chief Bobby Joe Williams said Boone went to the police department and talked about the odd business transaction. Williams said he checked the store out because something didn't sound right. "I went in and asked the owner about the snake," Williams said. "He admitted to it, and he gave me the snake."

The dead snake was already skinned and filleted, Williams said.

"He was getting ready to cook and serve the snake," Williams said. "We are going to have an investigation. We want to see just what all this man has been cooking."

Bland said police have had trouble getting the Health Department to investigate. She said putting a snake in a commercial freezer could violate health codes.

Williams said he has not heard of any prior complaints against James Quality Market, which remains open.

Lee Ellington, a law enforcement officer for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said the penalty for buying or selling a non-game species is a $5,000 fine, five days in jail and a three-year suspension of all hunting and fishing privileges.

"People just don't know what they are dealing with when it comes to venomous snakes," Ellington said. "This is not something to play with. This man could have harmed himself and made all his customers sick."

The business could be shut down, officials said.

"You are permitted to kill a snake if it is trying to bite you," Ellington said. "You ... can't serve them as food just so you can save on your food bill."