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A Chinese businessman who fled to the US and rebranded himself as a democracy crusader has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for a fraud scheme that screwed thousands of investors out of more than $1 billion.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Guo, also known as Miles Guo and Ho Wan Kwok, made a fortune as a property developer in China before fleeing to the US around 2015 and reinventing himself as a fierce critic of the Chinese Communist Party. From his luxury Manhattan penthouse overlooking Central Park, he built a loyal online following among Chinese expats who believed he would tap his fortune and insider connections to take down the CCP and deliver democracy back home. Prosecutors say that from 2018 to 2023 he pulled in more than $1 billion from those followers through bogus investment and crypto schemes, then funneled the money into a lifestyle of extraordinary excess (mansions, a multimillion-dollar yacht and a Bugatti). The FBI arrested him at his apartment in 2023, and a jury convicted him the following year on nine of 12 charges, including securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

What’s going on now: District Judge Analisa Torres handed down the 30-year sentence (the term prosecutors had requested) in a Manhattan courtroom packed with Guo’s supporters, and ordered him to pay $889 million in restitution. She said Guo had “preyed on those seeking to bring democracy to China,” taking their money to fund his lavish lifestyle.

Torres read aloud from letters sent by victims, many describing losing their life savings and suffering severe psychological harm. She said Guo took no responsibility and “instead insists, incredibly, his conduct caused no loss and harmed no one.”

In court, Guo spent his time complaining about his health rather than focusing on the actual charges. He also insisted that his whole reason for coming to the US was “to destroy” the CCP. His lawyers argued he was the target of a “grand, pervasive, and life-threatening” pursuit by the Chinese government and that a heavy sentence would just hand China a win and prove its smear campaign against him right (claims the judge thought were bullshit).

In a statement, US Attorney Sean S. Buckley said, “After immigrating to this country, rather than being satisfied with the many legitimate opportunities afforded to him, Guo exploited the trust that thousands had placed in him for his own greed. This sentence shows that fame and wealth do not place you above the law, and that fraudsters who victimize families to enrich themselves will be met with significant consequences.”