Guo Wengui’s $32.5 million New york condominium caught on fire Wednesday, mere hours after the Steve Bannon ally was once arrested there on a federal indictment accusing him of masterminding an over $1 billion fraud conspiracy.

Wengui, sometimes called “Miles Guo” and “Ho Wan Kwok,” is “an exiled Chinese language businessman who has resided in america due to the fact in or about 2015 and garnered a substantial online following,” in keeping with the Division of Justice press unencumber asserting his arrest.

He’s had shut ties to Bannon for years, together with offering the former Trump adviser with a beneficial consulting gig ($1 million per 12 months because 2018) as part of what the Washington Publish described as a “sprawling disinformation community” thru media entities that “spread election and covid falsehoods.”

When Bannon used to be arrested in 2020 for federal fees associated to the “We Construct the Wall” fundraising scheme, the feds picked him up on Wengui’s yacht (Trump later pardoned Bannon for the federal charges but the Manhattan District Legal professional then indicted him for state costs associated to the same alleged scheme).

As mentioned with the aid of Legislation&Crime’s Adam Klasfeld, the eleven federal fees towards Wengui embrace wire fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy and “might lift with reference to a 200-12 months most jail sentence.” He’s accused of the usage of false statements to solicit investors in various entities he managed, many from his large on-line following, after which the usage of those funds to counterpoint himself. From the DOJ unlock:

U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams stated: “As alleged, Ho Wan Kwok, recognized to many as “Miles Guo,” led a complex conspiracy to defraud lots of his on-line followers out of over $1 billion bucks.  Kwok is charged with lining his pockets with the money he stole, including buying himself, and his shut loved ones, a 50,000 sq. foot mansion, a $3.5 million Ferrari, and even two $36,000 mattresses, and financing a $37 million luxurious yacht.

Wengui used to be arrested at 6 a.m. ET at his Higher East Aspect condominium in the Sherry-Netherland Lodge building, where he owns your entire 18th floor, a 15-room penthouse closing listed in the marketplace for $32.5 million.

Just after noon, in keeping with ABC7NY, a fireplace was once said on that floor:

FBI marketers were still within Guo’s condominium at the time the fire broke out, multiple legislation enforcement sources told ABC Information. That’s about six hours after Guo was arrested.

The sellers were compelled to evacuate and said the fireplace to police.

Both the FBI and FDNY declined to reply to a couple of media outlets’ requests for remark, however are reportedly still investigating the reason for the fire. The fireplace was brought under keep watch over after just about two hours, around 1:forty six pm ET, and led to “significant damage” to the condo, pronounced ABC7NY. No injuries have been said.

In keeping with CNN’s Kara Scannell, prosecutors are anticipated that Wengui be held without bail “as a result of he’s no longer best an excessive flight possibility but also an economic threat to society.”

Watch the video clips above, by way of ABC7NY and CNN.

The publish Steve Bannon’s Former Business Accomplice Guo Wengui Was once Arrested and Then His $32.5 Million Condo Caught on Fireplace first regarded on Mediaite.