SHARE Wayne Simmons

By Jessica Lipscomb of the Naples Daily News

A Golden Gate Estates man has been arrested after deputies say he stole dozens of exotic reptile eggs from his employer.

The owner of Reptile Industries, which commercially breeds exotic reptiles, called the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in November to report that one of her 70 employees had reported a co-worker named Wayne Edward Simmons was stealing the eggs. Owner Kimberly Bell said the eggs can sell on the black market for hundreds to thousands of dollars because there are so few breeders in the U.S.

Detectives met with Simmons, 50, on Dec. 16 and said he admitted to stealing numerous eggs from the company. The eggs had since hatched into live animals and were being kept at Simmons’ home on the 1900 block of Rock Road, according to detectives.

Simmons turned over all 57 animals, including one pancake tortoise, one cherry head tortoise, seven yellow-footed tortoises, nine red-footed tortoises and 38 children’s spotted pythons.

The total value of the animals is $7,300, according to Sheriff’s Office reports. Simmons turned himself in Wednesday and was arrested to face a felony charge of grand theft.

Simmons began working for Reptile Industries in October of 2013, according to his Facebook page.