Skagit County woman sentenced for illegally purchasing wildlife parts
A Skagit County woman recently was sentenced for illegally trafficking in black bear parts, including paws and organs.
Yan L. Li, 54, was sentenced Aug. 25 in Skagit County Superior Court to 45 days of confinement and a $1,800 fine after pleading guilty to the class C felony of wildlife trafficking, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
Li owns the Fortune Mandarin restaurant in Mount Vernon, according to court documents.
The health department called WDFW officers to the Fortune Mandarin in 2020 after receiving complaints that the restaurant was committing code violations. Investigators found deceased water fowl outside the restaurant, but officers confirmed the Fortune Mandarin was not selling them. Li was cited for possession of wildlife without a statement and was fined in December of 2020, according to the release.
In 2021 the Skagit County Health Department received complaints about restaurant code violations at Li’s restaurant, triggering a WDFW police investigation, according to the release. During the investigation, Li illegally bought whole waterfowl and black bear parts, consisting of 13 gallbladders, six livers, and 24 paws with the claws still attached, from undercover WDFW officers, according to the release.
Li bought multiple bear parts and geese from the undercover officers who were posing as hunters. Li bought from the officers multiple times during 2022, before being arrested in Feb. 2023, according to court documents.
Li told the undercover agents she was going to sell the animal parts in the Asian market in Seattle, but later told them she was going to keep them for herself, according to court documents.
“The perceived medicinal value creates an increased demand for the species and their body parts, which threaten the long-term survivability of a population by overharvesting,” WDFW Police Capt. Brad Rhoden said in the release. “Beyond being illegal, it’s highly concerning to unethically waste black bears, or any wildlife for that matter, for nothing more than a few body parts being sold on the black market.”
Black market prices for bear gallbladders and other body parts can range between $100 to $200 locally, but can sell for thousands of dollars overseas, according to the release.
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 11:14 AM.
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