Self-exiled Chinese businessman's chief of staff pleads guilty weeks before trial

abcnews.go.com:

The chief of staff of a Chinese businessman sought by the government of China has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges weeks before her boss goes to trial in New York in a fraud case

NEW YORK — The chief of staff of a Chinese businessman sought by the government of China pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges on Friday, weeks before her boss goes to trial in New York in a $1 billion fraud case.

Yvette Wang entered the plea in Manhattan federal court three weeks before she was to stand trial with Guo Wengui.

Guo has pleaded not guilty to defrauding hundreds of thousands of followers in the U.S. and around the world of over $1 billion.

At a sentencing scheduled for Sept. 10, Wang faces up to 10 years in prison. Without the plea, she could have faced life in prison if she was convicted.

Wang, 45, spoke only English during her plea proceeding, letting the earphones she was provided by an interpreter dangle below her ears as she described her crimes. Wearing jail clothing, she wore leg shackles throughout the proceeding.

She admitted conspiring with Guo and others to commit wire fraud and money laundering from 2018 through March 2023 by giving false information to induce victims to send money through entities and organizations including Guo's media company, GTV Media Group Inc., and his so-called Himalaya Farm Alliance and the Himalaya Exchange, in return for stock or cryptocurrency.

Prosecutors say hundreds of thousands of investors were convinced to invest more than $1 billion into entities Guo controlled.

According to a charging document, Wang on June 5, 2020, authorized a wire transfer of $100 million from GTV's parent company, Saraca Media Group Inc. to a high-risk hedge fund for the benefit of Saraca and its ultimate