Haddix Sentenced To 46 Months In Prison For Lying In Federal Court

Lake area petting zoo owner and operator Tonia Haddix has been sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to two felony counts of perjury and one count of obstructing justice.

Haddix had been accused of lying to a federal judge about one chimpanzee, Tonka, claiming he was dead and even said she’d cremated him, but PETA later found him alive in a cage in her basement. She also admitted on the docuseries that she’d been “on the run” with him.

Tonka was a Hollywood chimp who starred in ‘Buddy’ and ‘George of the Jungle.’

Prosecutors say she later hid another chimp at home, violating court orders.

Haddix and her husband, Jerry Aswegan, are also accused of ignoring orders to turn over financial records and other documents to PETA.

They are both set to be back in court for that case this Tuesday.

In addition to the 46 months in prison, the sentencing against Haddix also includes three years of supervised release.

PETA says the sentence means she “can’t hurt another chimpanzee.”