4 Mich. residents arrested on bear parts trade charges
Four Michigan residents have been arrested on charges related to buying and selling black bear parts, state natural resources officials announced Tuesday.
The residents of Kent and Chippewa counties face 11 misdemeanors, said the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Each of the charges carries a fine of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail, plus $1,500 reimbursement for each animal illegally purchased.
A complaint originated from information gathered through confidential informants concerned about the illegal black bear parts trade, the DNR said. The charges follow a long investigation by the DNR’s Special Investigations Unit
“Individuals soliciting for the purchase of black bear parts creates a market for the illegal parts and provides a financial incentive for poachers to take the animals during closed seasons, in excess of established limits and by unlawful methods,” said DNR Detective Lt. Jason Haines, who heads the investigative unit, in a statement. “There is a black market for black bear parts in Asia, where the parts are used for medicinal purposes.”
The Kent County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Tuan Hoa Pham, 52, of Kentwood, with one count of buying bear parts and one count of buying sport-caught fish; Hoang Linh-Duy Tran, 45, of Wyoming, with two counts of buying a black bear; and Hoa Trung Huynh, 51, of Kentwood, with one count of illegally possessing black bear parts as well as one count of aiding and abetting the purchase of black bear parts.
They were in the Kent County Jail in Grand Rapids. They waived arraignment and are scheduled for a pretrial hearing Aug. 27 in 63rd District Court, the DNR said.
In the Upper Peninsula, the Chippewa County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued a five-count warrant against Hieu Van Hoang, 45, of Sault Ste. Marie, who was charged with purchasing bear and deer parts.
Hoang was served the warrants in the Chippewa County Jail, where he is detained on a felony in allegedly attempting to murder his wife, state officials said. He was arraigned on the wildlife misdemeanors in 91st District Court in Chippewa County. A pretrial hearing is set for Aug. 18.
“The Special Investigations Unit plays a vital role investigating and arresting major violators and its cases often include interstate and international violations,” said DNR Law Enforcement Division Chief Gary Hagler. “The unit’s role in the law enforcement division is to use undercover investigations and the latest in technology and forensics to apprehend poachers and others who are illegally commercializing fish and game in our state.”
Anyone with information on the illegal commercialization of Michigan fish or wildlife or other natural resources violations is asked to call the DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline at 1-800-292-7800.