Courtwatch – Illegal Barter

A Bethel restaurant operator supplied a meal and a few bottles of whiskey in exchange for a bear gall bladder. The man made such a trade on two occasions with a restaurant patron that turned out to be a undercover trooper. Bethel is a “damp” community where it is illegal to buy, sell, or trade alcohol, but it is legal to possess it. Meanwhile, it is illegal to buy, sell, or trade bear parts like gall bladders. The defendant, Jung Ho Yi, appealed his convictions on the belief that such a trade would be legal and that he was victim of entrapment.Related Link: State of Alaska v. Jung Ho Yi