A Lititz man pled guilty Friday to animal cruelty and other charges stemming from a Dec. 12, 2008, incident in which more than 100 turtles and tortoises — suffering from widespread neglect — were removed from his home.

Paul Russell Cooper, of the first block of Green Acre Road, had been charged by the Humane League of Lancaster County with eight summary offenses of animal cruelty and by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission with seven summary offenses of having illegal turtles in his possession.

Cooper's guilty plea came before Magisterial District Judge Daniel Garrett. Danielle Ball, the Humane League officer who investigated the case, said Cooper was taken into custody under a bench warrant and brought before Garrett because he had refused to respond earlier to the charges, which were filed a while ago.

Last December, the Humane League seized 109 turtles and tortoises from Cooper's house, while the Fish & Boat Commission removed several others that were on the endangered species list.

Ball said Cooper was breeding and selling the reptiles. "It was like a black market" operation, she said.

There were probably 130 or so turtles and tortoises in Cooper's residence, Ball said, and some — in decent shape — were left behind.

But the vast majority were underfed and living in unsanitary conditions, she said. Some were stuck in a box without water, among a handful of dead turtles, Ball said.

There also was a turtle in a baby pool with rotten food and dirty water, she said. Next to that was a bucket of dead turtles, Ball said.

The Humane League had a reptile expert along to help identify which turtles and tortoises needed to be rescued, she said.

Cooper is paying more than $2,000 in fines for the offenses, Ball said; some of that is restitution to cover veterinary and other costs, she said.

Among the endangered species in Cooper's possession were spotted turtles, which the Fish & Boat Commission now have, Ball said.

The 109 reptiles taken by the Humane League represent a host of species, including sulcata and pancake tortoises, red-eared slider turtles and box turtles.

Those turtles and tortoises are now in foster care. Humane League officials will decide which will be placed for adoption and which will be transferred to other rescue organizations.