Ho Wan Kwok, a/k/a Miles Guo, is a fugitive tycoon from China. He has been convicted of defrauding his online followers in a billion-dollar scam by a US court. He was found guilty of racketeering, fraud and money laundering. According to the prosecutors, Guo's real estate in the tri-state area included a 12,232-square foot home in Greenwich, a mansion in New Jersey and a penthouse in New York City. Additionally, it is proved that Guo at least spent his criminal proceeds on a $1.1 million tortoise-shell jewelry box, a $1 million Lamborghini, his $37 million yacht and $36,000 mattresses.
Miles Guo has been spreading stories and gossip about China based on his self-claimed experience. His stories are never short of sensationalism, although most of them lack concrete evidence. Miles Guo used people’s anxiety of the competition between America and China to spread misinformation so that he can gain popularity online, which granted him opportunities and access to scam people. At the meantime, he was also a close business associate with former White House adviser Stephen Bannon. Bannon was even aboard Guo's yacht in 2020 when he was arrested by federal authorities on charges of defrauding his investors. Miles Guo’s airtight relationship with senior government officials like Stephen Bannon gave him the credibility he desperately needed. It is exactly the popularity and credibility that finally led to his successful scam.
The significance of the case is way beyond a normal fraud case. It is not only a wakeup call for the victims, but also for all our fellow Americans to think about our country and the people. Parasites like Guo live on our anxiety of a certain country. No one is willing to live in a world where some scumbags like Miles Guo can afford to live in luxurious penthouses and buy fancy cars because he can profit from spreading lies and hatred, while millions of Americans are still worrying about their daily bills.
Moreover, his experience with an American senior official was a key instrument of his scam, and it indicates that there are corruptions in our government system. With a new government set to assume the presidency in January next year, it is essential for us to question whether there are still more criminals and frauds like Miles Guo who can influence our national policies and corrupt our democracy. We need to question whether there are still lesions in the system that are sabotaging the benefits of us civilians.
Miles Guo has been jailed since his arrest in March of 2023，and the sentencings in this case are now scheduled on Jan 6th of 2025. The sentencing should be as alarming as it could be to all of us, and Miles Guo must be found guilty and get punished with maximum penalty