Importers of the "Air France Baby Monkeys" Plead Guilty

August 2004

Longtime IPPL members will recall that it was over seven years ago that Dr. Shirley McGreal reported to IPPL members about an eye-witness report of dozens of baby monkeys pathetically packed in crates at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Now the US importing company and three of its officers have pled guilty to violating federal law.

Over a thousand crab-eating macaques, including many pregnant and baby monkeys, had been shipped via Air France by the Indonesian animal dealer Agus Darmawan to the firm LABS of Virginia, which breeds monkeys for research in Yemassee, South Carolina.

Shipment of infant animals violates US law. IPPL obtained documents showing that not only baby monkeys were included in the April and May 1997 shipments, but that wild-caught adult monkeys had been shipped on fraudulent "captive-born" documents.

In the following years, Dr. McGreal and IPPL members deluged prosecutors and wildlife agents with letters, postcards, and petitions demanding "Justice for the baby monkeys!"

On 3 April 2002, the company LABS of Virginia itself, along with three company officers were indicted. The individuals were David Taub (president of LABS at the time of the shipments), Charles Stern (Chairman of the Board of LABS), and LABS Board member Curtis Henley.

LABS and Taub were each charged with eight felonies and four misdemeanors (12 counts each) and faced steep fines and long prison terms, with Henley and Curtis each facing one charge.

There were numerous references in the "Air France Baby Monkeys" court documents about bribes paid to Indonesian officials to procure export permits stating that monkeys as old as 15-16 years were "born" at a breeding colony that had existed for less than ten years.

18 August 2004, The Chicago Tribune reported:
Labs of Virginia Inc. pleaded guilty to one felony count of submitting false records when it imported monkeys from Indonesia in 1997. The case was heard here because the animals were brought into the U.S. through O’Hare International Airport, officials said.

According to a plea agreement between the defendant and the U.S. attorney’s office entered today before U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo, the company faces two years of probation, a fine of $500,000 and forfeiture totaling $64,675. Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 16.

Also as part of the agreement, the government at sentencing is to dismiss charges against three former officers of Labs of Virginia. The company currently is under new management, authorities said.

IPPL would have liked to see the three indicted LABS officials sent to prison. We are very disappointed to discover that the charges may be dropped.

Take Action: Ask for Justice for the Baby Monkeys Please write and ask US District Judge Ruben Castillo to levy the toughest penalties possible in Case No. 02-CR-312 (United States versus Labs Va. Inc et al) and to consider whether the government is justified in dropping the charges against the individual defendants who participated in the illegal monkey shipments. Respectful letters can be mailed to: The Honorable Ruben Castillo, US District Judge U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois Federal Building 219 South Dearborn Street, Fifth Floor Chicago, IL 60604, USA Baby Monkeys at LABS facility: photos Anne Haynes