Self-proclaimed 'monkey whisperer' sentenced for illegally selling capuchin monkey to celebrity client

In a case that could have could have come out of a Carl Hiaasen novel, a Parrish man known as "The Monkey Whisperer" has been sentenced to five years of probation for illegally trafficking in protected primates when he tried to sell a capuchin monkey to an unnamed Hollywood celebrity.

As part of his sentence, Jimmy Wayne Hammonds, 52, must serve eight months of home arrest and pay $90,000 to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Lacey Act Reward Fund. He pleaded guilty March 2 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and three counts of violating the Endangered Species Act, according to a statement. (The Lacey Act is to help stop the illegal trafficking of wildlife, fish and plants.)

Hammonds is the owner of The Monkey Whisperer LLC, a business which breeds and sells wildlife. According to a copy of the plea agreement, between September 2017 and February 2018 he worked to sell a capuchin monkey for $12,650, including expenses, to a celebrity client in California. This, even though the buyer was not legally allowed to own the monkey in the state.

Despite this, Hammonds arranged to transport the monkey to California from Florida using a wildlife transporter who took it as far as Nevada. In Nevada, the transporter met with an associate of the celebrity who took the monkey the rest of the way. Neither the transporter nor the associate were legally allowed to possess capuchin monkey in either state, authorities alleged.

The monkey stayed with the buyer until Jan. 3, 2018, when law enforcement seized it from the owner’s California home.

At that point, everyone involved tried to cover their tracks. Including on Feb. 15, 2018, when, according to the plea agreement, Hammonds gave investigators false records stating the monkey was sold to a different person in Nevada, where it’s not illegal to own a capuchin monkey.

In addition to his celebrity dealings, Hammonds pleaded guilty to selling cotton-top tamarins, which are endangered species, and taking them across state lines, which violates the Endangered Species Act.

According to the plea agreement, he sold one March 10, 2016, to a person in Wisconsin; one April 7, 2017, to a person in Alabama; and two to a person in South Carolina. Each sold for about $4,500.

To avoid getting caught, Hammonds told the buyers that if investigators ever showed up asking questions to say they bought the cotton-top tamarins at a flea market.

And that is what the South Carolina buyer did when law enforcement questioned her Aug. 20, 2020.

Hammonds, according to the plea agreement, told the woman to tell the authorities that after she bought the cotton-top tamarins at the market, they died. In truth, she had already returned the two monkeys to him.

The Monkey Whisperer LLC is still active according to Florida’s Division of Corporations website. The Monkey Whisperer website is also still up.

On it, there is list of 20 states where it’s not permitted to own monkeys.

“If you reside in one of these banned states,” says a message in all capital letters and ending in five exclamations points, “please do not call us we cannot do business with you!!!!!”

The first state on the list is California.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice did not respond to an after-hours email asking if the celebrity in question was charged as well.