Chris Brown’s Monkey Dealer Gets License Terminated – Billboard

The U.S. Division of Agriculture has formally terminated unique animal supplier Jim Hammonds’ Animal Welfare Act license, in keeping with PETA.

The animal rights group beforehand submitted a criticism to the USDA about Florida-based Hammonds, a.ok.a. “The Monkey Whisperer,” itemizing his convictions together with felony conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking and three counts of violating the Endangered Species Act.

Hammonds, who’s finest identified for promoting a capuchin monkey to Chris Brown, is blocked from legally promoting primates for the pet commerce for at the least a 12 months. “Unique animals should not pets, playthings, or props for celebrities, they usually’re not enterprise transactions both,” mentioned PETA Basis Director of Captive Animal Regulation Enforcement Michelle Sinnott in a press assertion. “PETA is celebrating the USDA’s choice to strip this felon of a license earlier than he may exploit further weak animals.”

In March 2022, Hammonds pleaded responsible to wildlife trafficking expenses, with courtroom paperwork claiming that the breeder illegally bought the singer the capuchin monkey again in 2017 for a complete of $12,650. Prosecutors additional alleged that Hammonds carried out the sale in Nevada to make it seem {that a} resident of the state had bought the primate, since possessing one as a pet is unlawful in Brown’s dwelling state of California. In June, Hammonds was sentenced to 5 years probation and greater than $90,000 in fines for violating federal wildlife legal guidelines.

Brown was compelled to show the capuchin over in 2017. Brown confronted misdemeanor expenses however was not named within the federal case towards Hammond.