Houston Man Sentenced to Six Months for Illegally Selling Endangered Lemurs

Justin Treadwell, a 26‑year‑old from Houston, walked out of the courtroom Thursday with a six‑month federal prison sentence slapped on his record. He’d earlier admitted to selling three ring‑tailed lemurs—critically endangered primates from Madagascar—to undercover agents posing as buyers.

The whole thing started back in 2023 when investigators, working with a confidential informant, recorded Treadwell and his associate Angel Quinones talking shop about purchasing and moving illegal wildlife. Fast‑forward to March 2024, and the duo met the undercover operatives in the parking lot of a local PetSmart, where they handed over the lemurs for a cool $6,000. The sale was caught on tape, and the two men were promptly arrested.

What makes the case especially serious is that ring‑tailed lemurs are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Federal law says you need a USDA‑issued license to even possess, let alone buy or sell, these animals. Treadwell and Quinones openly acknowledged they had no such license and knew the transactions were illegal.

In May, Treadwell cut a plea deal: he pleaded guilty to the lemur‑selling charge, and prosecutors agreed to drop the more severe animal‑smuggling counts tied to spider monkeys. Quinones, who had been in custody longer, already pleaded guilty in 2025 and is set for sentencing on Sept. 14. Under the original indictment, Treadwell faced up to 20 years for smuggling and up to five years for each wildlife‑sale charge.

The episode shines a spotlight on a growing problem—exotic pets like lemurs and spider monkeys continue to be coveted in Texas despite warnings that they’re unsuitable and sometimes dangerous companions. Law‑enforcement agencies say cases like this one underscore the need for stricter enforcement of the Endangered Species Act and broader public awareness about the harms of wildlife trafficking.