AceShowbiz -

Chris Brown's pet monkey might get him arrested. The 28-year-old troubled R'n'B star is facing criminal charges from the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office after a California Department of Fish and Wildlife investigation found that he never got a permit for the baby capuchin monkey he's owning, Fiji.

According to TMZ, Chris has already voluntarily surrendered the baby monkey, and the case has been turned over to the L.A. City Attorney. Some of Grammy-winning singer's online followers notified the California Department of Fish and Wildlife after he shared on December 6 an Instagram video of his three-year-old daughter Royalty, whom he shares with Nia Guzman, cuddling Fiji.

"Chris Brown posted something on Instagram in December and showed a picture of his daughter with the monkey and said it was his pet," an officer from the Department of Fish and Wildlife told Page Six on Friday, January 12. "Immediately we had half a dozen or so phone calls. It is not lawful to possess an unpermitted monkey, including a bunch of other animals, in California [sic]."

"We did a brief investigation to come to a conclusion that he was indeed in possession [of an animal without a permit]," added the officer, who explained, "On January 2, they used a search warrant to go to the house and [seize] the monkey as evidence and they will file the case with the L.A. City Attorney's Office. I don't think it's been filed yet. I imagine it will be filed soon."

According to a spokesperson for the L.A. City Attorney's Office, there was "no information at this time." Meanwhile, Chris' attorney Mark Geragos said he thought it was "absurd" of the City Attorney to "spend taxpayer money on investigating monkey business."

The "Forever" hitmaker could face up to six months in jail if convicted. But his attorney said they're "confident nothing will come of this."