A British Columbia journalist who was targeted for months by followers of Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui says he’s feeling “tremendous relief” after Guo was sentenced to 30 years in a U.S. jail for fraud.

Benson Gao, also known as Gao Bingchen, says he was “overwhelmed with mixed emotions” at the sentencing, while believing Guo got off lightly considering the “pain and torture” that his family had suffered over the past few years.