All in a day’s work: Illegal Chinese immigrant, illegal bear hunts, prostitutes, and a sting operation

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All in a day's work: Illegal Chinese immigrant, illegal bear hunts, prostitutes, and a sting operation - Must Read Alaska

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made a breakthrough in a strange case involving unlicensed big game guided hunts organized by a Chinese illegal immigrant in Fairbanks, who offered prostitutes on the side. The case starts back in August 2021, when investigators discovered that 40-year-old...

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made a breakthrough in a strange case involving unlicensed big game guided hunts organized by a Chinese illegal immigrant in Fairbanks, who offered prostitutes on the side.

The case starts back in August 2021, when investigators discovered that 40-year-old Jun “Harry” Liang of Fairbanks was marketing illegal big game hunts in Alaska for wealthy Chinese clients.

The activities involved bringing in clients, offering them some time at shooting ranges to learn how to shoot, and promising that all the permits would be handled and their meat would be shipped to them.

Liang and Fairbanks accomplice Brian Phelan could face numerous felony charges, including money laundering, attempted violation of the Lacey Act, and wire fraud. Liang may face charges of illegal possession of a firearm by an alien.

Investigators found that Liang was using a Chinese social media platform called xiaohongshu.com, which is also known as “Little Red Book.” It’s described as “China’s foremost fashion and luxury shopping platform.”

Liang posted in Mandarin on the Little Red Book his services as a guide for big-game hunts, specifically targeting Chinese-speaking clients who are Chinese nationals living in the United States or who are Chinese nationals. Once a potential client was interested, the communication continued on another Chinese messaging app called WeChat. Screen shots of the advertising of the hunts were translated by investigators using Google Translate.

In one case, Chinese national Weigang Wang, who was living in Irvine, Calif., was a client of Liang for a Fortymile Caribou herd hunt. Liang posted photos of Wang on the Little Red Book to market services to others.

The entire plot was unraveled when a couple of clients that Liang snagged turned out to be undercover agents investigating the alleged illegal activities of the Liang and Phelan.

Liang also allegedly promised his clients that if they shot a bear, he would purchase the gall bladder. Bear gall bladders are used in Chinese traditional medicine and the buying or selling of them is illegal in Alaska. But Liang was evidently offering to buy and sell them for $5,000.

Liang reportedly entered the U.S. on a tourist visa that expired in 2016, but he has been living a high life in Fairbanks. He even purchased a Mercedes with some of the proceeds of the hunting scheme, the affidavit says. Liang is also the owner/operator of AK Aurora Travel Inc., which offered sightseeing and Northern Lights tours.

“Your affiant submits that 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, that he (LIANG) illegally possessed a firearm while prohibited by federal law, perpetuated a scheme to defraud clients of funds by means of wire communications, knowingly conducted financial transaction with proceeds specified unlawful act, and knowingly engaged in a monetary transaction with proceeds of a specified unlawful activity in any amount greater than $10,000 by, through or to a financial institution,” the complaint concludes. There’s no mention of the prostitution angle, as prostitution is not a federal offense.

The complaint, however, appears to contain only part of what investigators discovered in their research. The affidavit says there is more to tell, but the description of the illegal activities listed was narrow to conform to the specifics of the federal criminal complaint, which can be read below: