ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The owner of a Florida pet breeding business got five years' probation and must pay a $90,000 fine for illegally selling a monkey to singer Chris Brown.
A federal indictment doesn't name the celebrity, but key details match reports that wildlife agents seized a capuchin monkey from the home of singer Chris Brown in 2018 and his name was mentioned at the sentencing of breeder Jimmy Hammonds.
Hammonds pleaded guilty to conspiracy and three counts of violating the Endangered Species Act.
Prosecutors said he also illegally sold endangered cotton-top tamarins to buyers in Alabama, South Carolina, and Wisconsin while trying to disguise the sales.