The trial of Guo Wengui began in Courtroom 15D of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan and lasted for seven weeks.
A federal court in New York, US, sentenced Chinese businessman Guo Wengui to 30 years in prison and ordered the forfeiture of approximately $889 million in assets related to the case.
Judge Donnelly of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a ruling allowing a four-page statement signed by Meng Wanzhou in 2021 to be used as evidence against Huawei in its criminal trial starting September 8.
A jury found Guo Wengui guilty on nine counts and not guilty on three. The guilty charges include racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and securities fraud.
Wang Yanping pleaded guilty before a judge to two charges: wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering. She accepted a $1.4 billion judgment, split between restitution for investors and forfeiture of criminal proceeds.
Prosecutors submitted an update to the original indictment, adding Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges and framing Guo Wengui's four alleged distinct fraud schemes as the manifestation of a criminal enterprise.
FBI agents arrested Guo Wengui and Wang Yanping in Manhattan, USA, and seized a large amount of cash from Wang Yanping's apartment. On the same day, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York released a twelve-count indictment against Guo Wengui.
At the same time the FBI arrested Guo Wengui, a level-two fire broke out at his residence, forcing FBI agents to evacuate. Later investigations concluded that the fire was arson.
Meng Wanzhou landed at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport on a Chinese government chartered flight; on the same day, two Canadian citizens, Michael, who had been detained by China, were released and boarded a flight back to Toronto.
Meng Wanzhou signed a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and signed a four-page statement of facts, admitting to making false statements to HSBC in Hong Kong in 2013.
The US Department of Justice filed a third superseding indictment, increasing the charges against Huawei to sixteen and applying the RICO Act, typically used to combat organized crime, against Huawei for the first time.
Days after Meng Wanzhou's arrest, Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were taken away in Beijing and Dandong, respectively, by state security (MSS) on charges of endangering national security.
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was criminally arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police upon arriving at Vancouver on a flight from Hong Kong for a transfer, pursuant to a provisional U.S. extradition request.