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.)