Victoria E. FreileStaff writer;

A Wyoming County pair accused of illegally owning a monkey and a hawk are facing numerous charges, according to New York State Police.

Dara L. Jennings, 56, and Mark D. Galioto, 47, both of Java, were charged Monday, following a six-month investigation by State Police and the state Department of Environmental Conservation Police.

In August, Wyoming County probation officers stopped at the pair's home and spotted a young Grivet monkey, which was later seized by the DEC. As authorities looked into how the pair came to own a Grivet monkey, an animal typically found in eastern Africa, they also found remains of a red-tail hawk and 11 marijuana plants on the property, troopers said.

Police found the federal acquisition form the pair filed to obtain the monkey. Troopers said the form allegedly had been "fraudulently altered."

Jennings and Galioto were both charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and tampering with physical evidence, both felonies, and illegal possession of a Grivet monkey, a misdemeanor under state conservation law.

Galioto was also charged with illegal possession of a red-tail hawk and unlawfully growing cannabis, troopers said.

Jennings and Galioto were issued appearance tickets and are expected to appear in Java Town Court at a later date.

VFREILE@DemocratandChronicle.com

Twitter.com/vfreile