Spanning a multi-year sting operation commandeered by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a criminal complaint has been filed in a U.S. District Court in Alaska after undercover agents exposed an illicit brown bear hunting operation.
The accused, Jun “Harry” Liang and his neighbor Brian Phelan are now implicated in the complex scheme facing a barrage of charges including attempted violation of the Lacey Act, illegal possession of a firearm by an alien, wire fraud, and money laundering—among several others.
The Little Red Book
It was 2021 when Alaskan wildlife officials first got wind of xiaohongshu.com, a Chinese-language social media platform. It was here that officials were notified about the possibility of Chinese immigrants pushing illegal hunting trips or “Alaska Guide Lodging” to other Chinese nationals both foreign and domestic.
Translated to Little Red Book in English, the site operated as a marketplace of sorts and users, including the accused, would communicate via the Chinese WeChat app to book appointments and other details.
The Feds
Like the perfect trailhead, the Little Red Book was the perfect point of insertion for undercover agents from HSI to begin their sting operation. Agents hopped on the platform and started prodding Liang for details on his hunting escapades, stating that they were interested in booking a hunting trip for two people.
Liang instantly floated the idea of a near $25,000/per person caribou trip by the agents, hoping they’d bite on the good pay day. The agents, unbeknownst to the unsuspecting ‘guide’, were looking for a bit more adventure for their money.
As they continued pushing for a brown bear hunt, Liang finally broke down and gave them what they wanted. After checking in with his ‘guide’, he offered the agents the hunt of a lifetime for a cool $60,000 for the two of them.
Liang went on to request a $15,000 deposit to book the hunt, all while letting the agent know “me and hunter colleague are very professional.” Which would make even the biggest skeptic sleep a little better at night.
The Details
After the funds were wired to Liang, the feds began preparation for their upcoming hunt. In August of 2022, two undercover agents flew out to Fairbanks and met their trusty guides at, you guessed it, an Asian bistro, to discuss the next steps.
Before any hunting took place, the group had to acquire the right tags, which would prove to be tricky considering the unique rules surrounding Alaska’s big game hunting regulations.
When hunting brown bears in the Frontier State, hunters are required to hire a licensed guide or be accompanied by an Alaskan resident who is a relative – the gun show loophole of Alaska brown bear hunting.
The agents stepped up to the counter at the Department of Fish and Game office and were immediately asked who their guide was. Turning to Harry for support, he immediately called his partner Phelan and handed the phone to the employee. Rather than explaining to the agent that he was a big game guide, he went ahead and claimed to be the brother in-law of the agents and thus, exploiting the loophole and allowing the agents to walk out with licenses and tags in-hand.
The agents settled their $45,000 balance for the hunt by writing Liang a check the following day. Reports revealed that Liang wasted no time and later that same day put that money to good use and picked up a new Mercedes SUV at a local dealership.
The Hunt
After a day of training at the range where the trio met up with Phelan, the crew set up camp at the Quartz Lake campground near Delta Junction. For four days the agents were supplied with a pair of portable hunting blinds, rifles, ammo and killer hunting advice that never seemed to pay off.
With the bear activity being low, Harry reportedly offered the agents access to some of Fairbank’s finest prostitutes for a flat fee of $1,800/night. Seemingly able to tell that his would-be customers thought that price to be a bit high for a night with Alaska’s finest, he also offered them sexual acts at a mere $500 a shot.
Despite what was likely difficult to turn down, the agents refused sexual favors along with a bear gallbladder they were trying to unload for $5,000. Bear gallbladders are believed to have healing powers in Chinese culture, and unlike Alaskan prostitutes, they can fetch a pretty penny on the open market.
The hunt continued to be quite uneventful outside of the hospitable attempts by the hosts. After a few days past, Phelan suddenly announced that he had to get back to town in what he described as a scheduling mistake on his part. Liang took Phelan to town and when he returned, he told the agents he had to pay Phelan $15,000 for guiding the hunt.
The following day, the agents pulled the plug on the hunt and tipped Liang $1,500 in cash for a colorful, yet ultimately uneventful hunt. It wasn’t long before that wad of cash was posted up to the Little Red Book and a caption boasting about the large tip from another satisfied hunter.
The Arrest
After compiling evidence, HSI believed they had what they needed to get their man. With statements concluding: “There is probable cause to believe that Liang and Phelan attempted to sell big game guiding services for the illegal take of wildlife into interstate commerce in violation of Alaska law, and that Liang illegally possessed a firearm while prohibited by federal law.”
Liang was arrested last week. His partner Phelan remains a free man for the moment.
“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.” Phelan told the Daily Beast.
We certainly look forward to that, sir.
Image c/o U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.
