‘Monkey Whisperer’ sold monkeys out of Parrish business. Feds say he broke wildlife laws

A Parrish man known as “The Monkey Whisperer” is facing numerous charges that he violated federal wildlife laws, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Federal prosecutors unveiled an indictment against Jimmy Wayne Hammonds, 57, on Wednesday that details his alleged history of illegally dealing in primates, including a rare and endangered variety of South American monkey.

According to the court filing, Hammonds operated The Monkey Whisperer LLC in Florida. The business bred and sold primates to individuals around the U.S.

In several cases, however, the transactions were illegal, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say that between 2017 and 2018, Hammonds arranged the sale of a capuchin monkey to an individual in California who could not legally possess the animal. Additionally, they say that Hammonds conspired to transport the animal from Florida to California by contracting a person who did not have the necessary permits to do so. The monkey was later seized from the home of the California resident by law enforcement, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

In addition to the capuchin incident, Hammonds is accused of illegally selling another species of primate, the cotton-top tamarin, to buyers in Alabama, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

The cotton-top tamarin, a micro-sized monkey native to Colombia, is described by conservation groups as one of the most critically-endangered primates in the world.

Prosecutors say that Hammonds submitted false records to law enforcement to conceal the illegal wildlife trafficking and also tried to persuade a witness to lie to law enforcement on his behalf.

Hammonds is charged with violating the Endangered Species Act as well as the Lacey Act, which bans the trade and possession of many plant and animal species. He faces seven charges in total, including crimes of conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and witness tampering.

If Hammonds is convicted, the charges could add up to a maximum sentence of 38 years in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife officials in Florida and California.

This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 6:11 PM.