A Mississauga man who was caught trying to sneak snakes into Canada in his socks has pleaded guilty.

Chaoyi Le faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to violating wildlife restrictions.

The 28-year-old man was arrested at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge in 2014 after Canadian Border Services agents found three live albino western hognose snakes hidden in his socks.

According to The Associated Press, court documents say that on the same day, Le also mailed several snakes from New York to China.

Le had initially said he found the snakes in a New York park but eventually admitted to buying them.