A Guy Who Sold Chris Brown A Monkey From Florida Was Sentenced For The Illegal Sale

Chris Brown's personal life has been fairly public during his career, and in December 2017, he posted a video of his daughter holding a monkey, alluding to the fact that he got the animal as a pet for her.

This article contains content that may be upsetting to some of our readers.

Now, the man who sold Brown the primate from Florida was sentenced to five years probation for his sale to the singer.

The capuchin monkey was purchased from The Monkey Whisperer Ranch in Parrish near St. Petersburg and was transported to CA. A month later PETA reported Brown for illegal ownership.

He faced two misdemeanor accounts but avoided jail time

According to the Associated Press, the star didn't have permits to possess the monkey. He gave up his rights to the animal, named Fiji, and paid $35,000 to make sure the monkey was taken care of.

The breeder, Jimmy Hammonds, who pleaded guilty to the Endangered Species Act, faced a federal indictment in Tampa.

The Associated Press said the indictment didn't explicitly state anything in relation to Brown in this case, but the artist was in court for the hearing, and the details are uncanny.

The judge ordered Hammonds to spend eight months of his probation at home, and he has to give $90,000 to a fund organized by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service.

Brown still has a video of the monkey online from years ago, and his audience wasn't pleased with his posting.

"This is upsetting. This monkey was ripped away from its home and family. It’s not happy. It’s not in its natural habitat. Don’t support exotic pet trade. Leave these animals in the wild where they belong," said one commenter.

Many others accused him of animal cruelty and said a monkey is not a pet.

PETA reports that capuchin monkeys, like Fiji, are considered exotic animals.

We reached out to Jimmy Hammonds with a request for comment and will update this article upon response.