OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Dozens of geckos were found dead after being locked away in an abandoned storage unit, leading the person responsible to be sentenced this week, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

In a release, FWC officials said that complaints flooded in during November 2023 about the abandoned reptiles, which had been found inside the storage unit.

“The storage company locked the unit after nonpayment, and its contents were discovered when employees prepared the unit for auction,” the release reads.

Investigators said that the storage unit contained 111 African fat-tailed geckos that had been stored in individual containers.

However, 41 of those geckos were already dead from neglect, with the containers being filthy, and lacking in food and water.

“Based on the condition of the reptiles and statements from the storage unit employees, it was determined that no one had visited the unit for more than two months,” the release continues.

After an investigation, FWC officials ultimately pinned 48-year-old Kelvin Soto as the suspect. He reportedly had an expired license to exhibit and sell reptiles.

As a result, Soto was arrested on charges of felony animal cruelty and confinement of animals without food or water.

“This case is a powerful example of the work our Captive Wildlife Investigators do every day,” FWC Captive Wildlife Section Leader Maj. John Wilke said. “Their dedication, thoroughness and persistence ensured accountability for the mistreatment of these animals and justice for the ones that survived.”

On Thursday, Soto pleaded guilty to animal cruelty, though adjudication was withheld for the second charge.

According to the FWC, Soto was sentenced to the following:

• Four years of supervised probation

• 100 hours of community service

• Prohibited from possessing or having contact with animals

• Forfeiture of the remaining geckos

• Restitution of over $5,000 to the facility that cared for the surviving reptiles during Soto’s prosecution

Anyone who has information on similar situations is urged to contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 or by clicking here.