The former Miami-Dade cop who was busted stealing cash and pot from a motorist then violated probation by trying to illegally sell a monkey over the Internet will have to pay his debts if he wants to stay out of prison.
Jesus Rodolfo Hernandez, 26, admitted to the monkey business in court Tuesday and will have to pay $5,000 towards the $25,000 he owes authorities for the investigation into his misconduct, the Miami Herald reported.
If Hernandez doesn't make the first payment, he'll face up to five years in prison.
Hernandez was arrested in April 2009 after he was caught in a sting set up by detectives from his own department. The four-year veteran swiped $575 and a baggie of pot from a motorist he had pulled over, who later turned out to be an informant.
He was later pleaded guilty to charges of grand theft, marijuana possession and tampering with evidence. He was given 30 days in jail, two years' probation, the $25,000 fine and was stripped of his law enforcement credentials.
In July of this year, Hernandez was busted for trying to sell a marmoset monkey without a permit through an online classified ad. Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Hernandez had been asking for $2,700 for the monkey, which was being held in a cage that didn't meet requirements.
Hernandez will be arraigned in Broward County later this month on a misdemeanor charge of possessing wildlife without a license.
Hernandez was no stranger to controversy before the misconduct and monkey incidents. In February 2008, he shot and injured electronics store owner Jose Rodriguez during a burglary call at the business, mistaking Rodriguez for the burglar.
Rodriguez filed a negligence suit against the county, with a trial still pending.
