Internet celebrity Guo Meimei jailed for running a casino

World Today

Internet celebrity Guo Meimei jailed for running a casino

Infamous Chinese Internet celebrity Guo Meimei has been jailed for five years for operating an illegal casino, Beijing Dongcheng People’s court announced on Thursday.

The court also fined her 50,000 yuan ($7,800) and jailed her associate Zhao Xiaolai for two years, with a fine of 20,000 yuan.

Guo, 24, rose to prominence in 2011, after photos of her extravagant lifestyle went viral on Chinese social media.

While boasting about her luxury cars and handbags online, she had claimed that she was working as the “commercial manager” at China’s Red Cross Society.

 

Internet celebrity Guo Meimei jailed for running a casino

Guo’s posts fueled public anger and concern over whether donations were being misused. The organization soon denied any link to her, but could not escape the scandal, which resulted in declining public trust and a large drop in donations.

Eventually, Guo was arrested by police in July 2014 for running an Internet gambling racket at the flat that she had rented in Beijing.

Her trial was broadcasted by major TV channels across China a month later, where she confessed that her wrongdoings had caused irrevocable damage to the credibility of the charity.

Internet celebrity Guo Meimei jailed for running a casino