Fairbanks Men Charged in Wildlife Conspiracy Scheme
Two Fairbanks men have been charged with a multitude of federal crimes related to an illegal big-game guide-outfitter operation in Alaska.
Jun "Harry" Liang, 59, and Brian Phelan, 51, allegedly conspired to provide guide-outfitter services for caribou and brown bear hunts in Fairbanks, despite neither being licensed by the state of Alaska to do so.
Liang collected a total of $71,000 in 2021 and 2022 for guided hunts, with the majority of the funds coming from the 2022 season, where he raked in $60,000.
The indictment alleges that Liang and Phelan committed eight federal crimes, including one count of Lacey Act conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, one count of Lacey Act false labeling, two counts of illegal alien in possession of a firearm, and two counts of money laundering.
Liang was arrested on July 14 and made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. Phelan is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in August.
If convicted, Liang faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, while Phelan faces a maximum of five years. A federal district court judge will determine the actual sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the IRS, with the assistance of the Alaska State Troopers, Wildlife Investigations Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Skrocki and Carly Vosacek are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related Federal Cases
- Demetrick Ruffin, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, Alaska 2010 · Texas
- Jason William Leonard, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, California 2024 · Utah
- Mitchell Zong, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, AK 2024 · Alaska
- McKenzie Marie Earley, $10M Wire Fraud, C.D. California, 2023 · Louisiana
- Earl Worthy, Conspiracy to Defraud the Government, Mail Fraud, Aggr… · Alaska
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: Wildlife Crimes|White Collar Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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