A Florida man who called himself “The Monkey Whisperer” was sent to prison after continuing to smuggle exotic animals even while on probation for the same crime, US prosecutors said.Jimmy Wayne Hammonds, 62, of Parrish, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025, to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, a federal law prohibiting the illegal trade in wildlife.Hammonds ran a company called The Monkey Whisperer, LLC that specialized in the sale of primates and other exotic animals.
He continued to run the business despite being on federal probation for similar crimes, authorities said.According to court documents, Hammonds made contact with an undercover agent through his company’s social media account. “At Hammonds’ request, conversations moved to an encrypted text messaging app to discuss potential wildlife sales. Hammonds agreed to sell the undercover agent two marmosets for $7,400.”
He also arranged for the deal to take place in Georgia in an attempt to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.The case led to the surrender of 67 animals owned by the Hammonds, prosecutors said. These included many species of primates as well as muntjac deer, lemurs, kangaroos, wallabies and otters.In addition to the prison sentence, a federal judge ordered Hammonds to pay a $60,000 fine to the Lacey Act Rewards Fund, which supports whistleblowers who report wildlife trafficking. He was also banned from “possessing, breeding, selling, transporting or displaying any wildlife.”Hammonds is also scheduled to face a violation of probation hearing on April 2, 2026.
