A federal judge sentenced a Chinese billionaire to 30 years in prison for an extensive financial fraud scheme that the judge said cost over 1,000 people across the world hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Guo Wengui chose to flee China a decade ago to live in the U.S. where he became a critic of the Chinese Communist Party. Supporters packed the Manhattan courtroom where Guo was sentenced, CNN reported. 

Prosecutors said that Guo's "astonishing" fraud "destroyed hundreds of lives" and financially devastated his victims. 

Judge Analisa Torres said Guo preyed on those hoping to bring democracy to China, and took their money to support a lavish lifestyle. Torres read excerpts of letters from victims who said they lost their life savings and had family members turn on them for their poor investment choices. 

She said Guo takes no responsibility for his actions and insists his behavior caused no harm to anyone. 

Guo was convicted of nine of the 12 criminal charges against him. Prior to his sentencing, Guo said he had come to the U.S. to destroy the CCP. In court filings, his lawyers said he was a victim of the CCP's “grand, pervasive, and life-threatening” pursuit of him, alleging the party recruited big-name figures in business, entertainment and politics to conspire against him.