Miles Guo Wengui Cited SBF and Madoff Bail But Got Denied Now Offers Guards on Appeal

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by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 30 –  After a circus-like civil case involving Guo Wengui in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which Inner City Press closely covered, here, March 15, 2023 saw the unsealing of a twelve-count Indictment charging

HO WAN KWOK, a/k/a “Miles Guo,” a/k/a “Miles Kwok,” a/k/a “Guo Wengui,” a/k/a “Brother Seven,” a/k/a “The Principal,” and KIN MING JE, a/k/a “William Je,” with various wire fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering charges.  JE, who is KWOK’s financier, is also charged with obstruction of justice.  

   The prosecutors said that "KWOK was arrested this morning in New York, New York, and will be presented this afternoon.  JE is currently at large." 

Not mentioned was another, related arrest on March 15, of Guo's chief of staff Yangping Wang, aka Yvette Wang. Inner City Press, lone media in the Magistrates Court, live tweeted her presentment when the prosecutors, seemingly hoping to flip her as a cooperator, offered release on $5 million bond, but only with two co-signers they approve.

 Minutes later, in a larger courtroom, Guo / Kwok was presented - with a Federal Defender for the day - and detained on consent. Inner City Press live tweeted, thread here

On May 30, Guo's lawyer argued his appeal of Judge Torres' denial of bail before a Second Circuit three-judge panel. Inner City Press live tweeted it, thread here:

Guo's lawyer: If my client left the US  - to the UAE or anywhere else - he would abandoned his asylum claim and his wife and child here, and his son in the UK.

Judge Eunice Lee: Didn't the District Court consider obstructive behavior?

Lawyer: I'm getting to that.... We proposed 24/7 surveillance by private guards.

Judge: At the end of the day it is impossible to have a release on bail that doesn't rely on a defendant's compliance. Are the guard's authorized to use force? I think not

 Judge Sarah Merriam: It's not uncommon we see resubmission of bail packages? Guo's lawyer: The court said it could not imagine any circumstances. Judge Jon Newman: Has a trial date been set? Lawyer: We asked for Fall; the US wants spring 2024.

Assistant US Attorney: The District Judge looked at Kwok's [Guo's] behavior in previous cases -- Judge: Did the Court look at his failure to flee in the year he knew this was coming? AUSA: Yes. Page 7 of her opinion.

 AUSA: This court has been skeptical about private security offers, & a 2-tier bail system. [But what about DOJ agreeing to bail for Bankman-Fried? It's two tier, just not only on income]

AUSA: Private security might not report to the judge - they want to get paid

AUSA: The defense claims the Judge did not subject the government to scrutiny. But she cites Guo's own statements on his social media accounts. She took it all in and her decision was plausible.

Argument over - decision will come out in the future.

The appeals case is listed as US v. Kwok, 23-6421 (Torres)

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