The woman who once cared for seven chimpanzees at the now-defunct Missouri Primate Foundation south of Festus and was the focus of the HBO docuseries “Chimp Crazy” has admitted to lying about the death of one of the chimps in federal court, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office reported.
Tonia Haddix pleaded guilty today, March 31, to two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. She admitted to lying in court and court filings about the death of a chimp named Tonka, according to the report.
Haddix is scheduled to be sentenced July 16. Each perjury charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, and the obstruction charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office reported.
“Despite repeatedly being warned by the District Court about the consequences of flouting the consent decree and court orders and being given ample opportunity to come into compliance, Haddix continued to defy the Court,” U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming said in a statement. “She then repeatedly lied about Tonka’s death while she was under oath.”
Haddix was the last owner of seven chimps – Tonka, Crystal, Mikayla, Tammy, Connor, Candy and Kerry – who lived at the Festus-area facility formerly known as Chimparty, which provided chimps for parties, television ads and movies. The chimps previously belonged to Connie Casey, who transferred ownership of the animals to Haddix in an attempt to end a lawsuit the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed against her in 2016.
The nine-year legal battle between Haddix and PETA seemed to be concluded July 2021 when a federal judge ordered Haddix to give up ownership of the seven chimps and allow PETA to transfer them to the Center of Great Apes in Wauchula, Fla. The order came after the judge ruled Haddix had not followed a consent decree she had reached with PETA, which would have allowed her to retain ownership and care for Crystal, Mikayla and Tonka.
Crystal, Mikayla, Tammy, Connor, Candy and Kerry were transferred from the Festus-area facility to the Florida sanctuary on July 28, 2021. Tonka also was supposed to be transferred that day, but Haddix said Tonka died May 24, 2021, after suffering a stroke or heart attack.
On Aug. 2, 2021, PETA filed its fourth motion seeking civil contempt against Haddix for failing to transfer Tonka as ordered by the District Court. On Aug. 16, 2021, Haddix filed her declaration with the District Court, under penalty of perjury, which contained the materially false statement that, “On May 30, 2021, Tonka died. On that same date, (my husband) cremated Tonka’s body. After the cremation, he gave me Tonka’s cremated remains. Since then, I have retained – and continue to retain – Tonka’s remains,” according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office.
On Dec. 27, 2021, Haddix filed in the District Court a motion to dismiss with prejudice PETA’s fourth motion seeking civil contempt. In that motion, Haddix again made numerous materially false representations that Tonka was dead, the report said.
Her materially false statements influenced, obstructed and impeded the due administration of justice in that pending civil case, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office.
On Jan. 5, 2022, the District Court convened a hearing during which Haddix gave sworn testimony and again made materially false statements, including that on May 30, 2021, “… and then I went in and I opened the cage door and (Tonka) was dead. He was dead … we took him around and let the chimps say good-bye. Then we put him in the Gator and we backed the Gator up against the truck, the bed of the truck, the tailgate, and then we put his body over into the truck and then he left … and I waited for (my husband) to call me, to let me know (that he had completed his cremation). … I wanted to keep trying to save Tonka if I could. But then he just died on his own, so there was no saving him,” the report said.
Based upon her false testimony, the District Court denied PETA’s motion for civil contempt, according to the report.
Tonka, who is best known for his role in the 1997 film “Buddy” with Alan Cumming, was discovered to be alive and living with Haddix in June 2022. The chimp was then transported to the Florida sanctuary.
“(Tonia) Haddix swore to tell the truth under oath and then proceeded to blatantly lie to a federal judge,” Ashley Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI St. Louis Division, said in a statement. “There is no excuse.”
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Haddix also has until April 22 to appeal an order from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would terminate her Animal Welfare Act license, which allows her to broker and transport infant monkeys and other wild animals in addition to operating her roadside animal zoo in Sunrise Beach.
Administrative Law Judge Tierney Carlos issued the order on March 13, and if Haddix doesn’t appeal or loses her appeal, she will not be allowed to apply for a new license for at least two years, according to USDA documents.
Click to read past Leader coverage on the events that led to "Chimp Crazy."