Two Fairbanks men are accused of running an illegal guide outfitting business following a federal sting operation.
According to a criminal complaint filed July 12 in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, Jun “Harry” Liang and Brian Phelan are accused of attempting to violate the Lacey Act, a conservation law that prohibits trades in game that have been illegally taken, false labelling conspiracy, and wire fraud conspiracy. Liang was additionally accused of wire fraud, illegal possession of firearm by an alien, and two counts of money laundering.
Alaska State Wildlife Troopers received a tip that Chinese immigrants were conducting unlicensed big game guided hunts through their Alaska Guide Lodging business on a luxury shopping and e-commerce social media site called Little Red Book.
Posts on Little Red Book from August 2021 documented one man’s caribou hunt in Alaska. The post referenced an “old American hunter Brian” and a guide. Liang operates Alaska Aurora Travel Inc. and provides sight-seeing tours in Alaska. According to the complaint, “the investigation has revealed that Liang appears to solely market his services to Chinese nationals or Chinese nationals living in the United States.” Liang and Phelan are not licensed guides with the state of Alaska.
A Homeland Security Investigations agent virtually contacted Liang through Little Red Book in February 2022, writing that he was interested in a hunting trip for two people. Liang suggested a nine-day caribou hunting trip for $50,000. The agent pushed for a guided bear hunt, and after checking with his guide, Liang quoted the agent $60,000.
Liang shared photos from past hunts and told the agents how to obtain a gun permit and hunting licenses when you aren’t a U.S. citizen.
Liang messaged the agent in February, “Then we will go to the hunting area to find animal. The hunted animal you can ship back of consumption, can find butcher to process and package to ship.” The agent paid the trip’s $15,000 deposit in June 2022.
Two undercover agents met Liang in Fairbanks in August 2022. When they went to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks to purchase tags, the employee asked who their guide was. Anyone hunting brown bears in Alaska is required to hire a licensed guide or be with an Alaska resident who is a relative. Liang called Phelan and gave the phone to the employee. Phelan told the employee that he was not a guide but the brother-in-law of the two agents.
The two agents paid Liang $45,000 that day to complete the payment for the bear hunt. Later that day, Liang purchased a Mercedes SUV, according to charging documents.
Liang and Phelan took the two undercover agents to the Chena River State Recreation Shooting Range to target practice for the hunt. During the drive, Liang offered to buy a bear gallbladder from one of the undercover agents if the hunt was successful. According to National Geographic, bear bile, which is stored in the gallbladder, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat epilepsy, hemorrhoids and heart pain. Liang also offered to provide prostitutes to the undercover agents.
They then drove to the Quartz Lake Campground where they set up their hunting camp. From Aug. 23, 2022, to Aug. 26, 2022, Liang and Phelan walked the two undercover agents to the hunting area, set up two portable hunting blinds, provided firearms and ammunition, and provided advice in the field. Liang offered prostitutes to the undercover agents for $1,800 a night or $500 per sex act. He also offered to buy the bear gallbladders from the undercover agents for $5,000 each.
On Aug. 27, 2022, Liang told the undercover agents that Phelan made a mistake with his work schedule and had to return to Fairbanks. Phelan told them that “Harry” Liang, would be their guide. Liang told the undercover agents that he paid Phelan $15,000 for his guide services. The agents ended the hunt the next day, telling Liang it was due to an illness in the family.
The investigation also revealed that Liang was admitted to the United States in February 2016 on a tourism visa valid until May 2016. The complaint stated that Liang is currently out of legal immigration status in the U.S.
Liang is being held at Fairbanks Correctional Center. The correctional center did not list Phelan as being in its custody.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Phelan said, “I don’t have anything to hide. If you want the full scoop, when this whole thing’s over, I’ll tell you everything … Because there’s a lot more to this than what they filed in court.”