Exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, an aide to former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon, was arrested Wednesday morning in New York by federal authorities on charges of orchestrating a $1 billion fraud scheme, prosecutors announced.
Guo, identified in court papers as Ho Van Quoc and who also goes by Miles Guo and Miles Kwok, was charged with 12 counts, including wire fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud and money laundering, on Wednesday in the US. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a news release.
A source familiar with the matter said that on the day news of his arrest broke, Guo’s New York City apartment was found on fire. The source said the FBI had to evacuate during their search when the fire broke out because he was already in custody.
US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement that Guo led a complex conspiracy to defraud thousands of his online followers of more than $1 billion.
Prosecutors said that Guo, along with his alleged co-conspirator Qin Ming Jie, also known as William Jie, is alleged to have taken advantage of Guo’s online presence to generate “huge financial returns and profits” at various companies and events. Invested by promising other benefits”. He then embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars of the fraudulently obtained money, which Guo allegedly used on a lavish lifestyle.
Kwok is alleged to have lined his own pockets with the stolen money, including buying himself and close relatives a 50,000-square-foot mansion, a $3.5 million Ferrari, and even two $36,000 mattresses. , and financing a $37 million luxury yacht,” Williams said.
Guo’s financier Qin Ming Jie was also indicted, was hit with another charge of obstruction of justice and has yet to be arrested.
Lawyer information for Guo and Qin Ming Jie was not immediately available on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said the US government seized $634 million in alleged fraud proceedings from 21 different bank accounts, as well as assets purchased with the alleged fraud proceeds, including Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Rhodes.
Jonathan Dienst Contribution,
