Chinese Internet Celebrity Charged With Running Illegal Gambling Operation
June 9, 2015 10:00 amIn 2011, Guo Meimei acquired internet celebrity by pretending to work for the Red Cross Society of China, and posting countless images of herself living the high-life, thus implying the charity had been misusing its public donation. Soon after, the charity saw its donations sharply fall, forcing the organization to release a statement explaining no relation existed between Guo Meimei and itself. Guo Meimei was then forced to make a public address on state TV apologizing for the damage she caused the Chinese Red Cross she claimed to represent, and at the time stated that “because of my vanity, I’ve made a very big mistake”
Not content to lay low, the 23 year-old with around 1.9 million Weibo followers has now landed herself in further hot water with the authorities, after last June posting a not-so-cryptic clue on her microblog pondering what role she might play in the 2015 World Cup. In August, she was subsequently arrested for heading an internet soccer betting website, and together with other accusations of criminal activity Guo Meimei could now face up to 10 years behind bars. Commenting on the development, the Beijing Dongcheng District People’s Procuratorate released the following statement:
“We have solid evidence to prove Guo and her friend, Zhao Xiaolai, organized others to engage in gambling on many occasions. The circumstances were so serious that the suspects should be held accountable.”
According to a televised confession Guo Meimei made in August, she was able to organize the illegal gambling ring by opening up gambling accounts at overseas websites and then placing bets with them over the phone. Wearing an orange prison uniform, Guo Meimei also confessed to working as a female escort, a service for which she would charge a minimum of 100,000 yuan ($17,400), and stated that:
“There are many who would spend money to sleep with me for a night, no matter the price.”