A BC journalist who was abused by Chinese Communist Party supporters has been freed after being sentenced to prison
A British Columbia journalist who was attacked for months by supporters of Chinese dictator Guo Wengui says he feels “very relieved” after Guo was sentenced to 30 years in a US prison on fraud charges.
Benson Gao, also known as Gao Bingchen, said he was “overwhelmed with mixed emotions” at the sentencing, while he believed Guo was softening considering the “pain and torture” his family had suffered in the past few years.
Guo, who fled China a decade ago and re-established himself as a critic of the US-based Communist Party, was sentenced in a Manhattan courtroom packed with supporters.
Judge Analisa Torres said Monday that he “robbered those who want to bring democracy to China,” taking their money to live comfortably, and called on supporters to “harass and intimidate those who dare to speak out against him.”
Gao, a critic of Guo, was targeted by supporters who set up a protest outside his home in Surrey, BC, for 77 days in 2020, in a protest that turned violent when they attacked a friend of Gao's.
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Gao says his family's life has “turned into chaos” because of the protests that he says have been going on around the clock.
“My wife and I faced endless slander and insults, and we also faced great pressure on our lives and our well-being, which is unimaginable to those who have never experienced it,” Gao said in an interview on Tuesday.
Two of Guo's followers pleaded guilty to assault charges after attacking Gao's friend Louis Huang, who was also awarded more than $156,000 in damages.
Gao, who says Guo was like the leader of a “financial cult,” says he paid a heavy price for opposing the businessman, who lied about being a Chinese spy.
“I also learned a lesson during the nine years: it is very dangerous to expose a crime committed by a person with great resources. I was threatened at my door, and I don't think there is a family that can resist that,” said Gao, adding that he is very grateful for the support and understanding of his wife.
Gao says he has no regrets, but he will no longer follow news about Guo, and his YouTube channel will shift to other social issues.
Torres said Guo's fraud cost more than 1,000 people worldwide hundreds of millions of dollars.
The judge, in sentencing him, read excerpts from letters he had received from victims who described losing their livelihoods and feeling very worried and humiliated and that family members had been thrown out because of their poor investment choices.
Torres said Guo “doesn't take responsibility for his actions but insists incredibly that his behavior did not cost him or hurt anyone.”
The judge ordered Guo to pay US$889 million in restitution.
Wei Chen, a victim who testified at the trial, told Torres that Guo's fraud “destroyed” his life and that of his family.
When Guo left the courtroom after the sentence, fans applauded and shouted at him.
— via files from The Associated Press
© 2026 The Canadian Press
