An Alaska man has been indicted for offering hunting guiding services without necessary licenses and helping two clients harvest bull moose illegally. Michael Mikhail Beans, 34, of Saint Mary’s faces two felony charges for Lacey Act violations and 19 felony counts of wire fraud stemming from $59,000 collected from unsuspecting moose hunters. A federal Grand Jury in Anchorage charged Beans on April 21.
More than 30 hunters have fallen victim to Beans’ ploy since October 2021. They paid him for guiding services on moose hunts scheduled for September 2022 and 2023. Beans then canceled the hunts without providing refunds to clients. Two clients actually went on bull moose hunts with Beans and were eventually successful. But Beans’ lack of a big game guide or transporter license rendered those hunts illegal.
An arraignment date has yet to be set, but Beans could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.