Woman, mom convicted of smuggling monkey into US

[December 09, 2008]  SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- A Spokane woman and her mother have been convicted in federal court on charges of sneaking a rhesus monkey into the United States from Thailand.

Gypsy Lawson, 29, hid the sedated young rhesus macaque under her blouse, pretending to be pregnant when she successfully passed through U.S. Customs in Los Angeles after a trip to Bangkok, Thailand.

Her mother, Fran Ogren, 55, of Northport, Wash., also went on the trip in November 2007.

The two women were found guilty Monday by a 12-member jury on separate charges of conspiracy and smuggling goods into the United States. Sentencing is set for March 3.

The monkey is now at a primate rescue facility in Oregon.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesmanreview.com/

[Associated Press]

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