Florida man arrested for keeping alligators captive on property

A Florida man has been arrested after authorities discovered he was keeping alligators and freshwater slider turtles on his property in Marion County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Robert Miller, 42, faces charges of illegally killing, possessing, or capturing alligators, as well as the unlawful taking of slider turtles.

In August, FWC officers visited Miller’s home in Ocklawaha after receiving a tip that two alligators were being kept in his backyard swimming pool. Initially, Miller denied the allegations but later admitted that the alligators had been in his pool for about three months.

He claimed his ex-girlfriend’s friend placed the alligators there and said he had attempted to contact FWC to have them removed, though he could not provide evidence of those calls.

During the investigation, officers also found a recently killed alligator and several freshwater slider turtles in a kiddie pool in Miller’s front yard. Miller admitted to killing the alligator with a pickax, citing concerns about his dog and cats frequenting the area.

Miller was arrested and booked into the Marion County jail but was released the following day. The alligators were removed by a nuisance trapper, and the turtles were returned to the nearby pond.