BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese court sentenced a Chinese-American businessman to 20 years in prison on charges of heading a mob that illegally detained rivals and operated casinos, and rejected his claim that he was tortured by police.

The Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court said in a statement Thursday on its microblog that Vincent Wu operated illegal casinos that raked in 48 million yuan ($7.8 million), got an associate to throw acid at a judge who ruled against him in a lawsuit and ordered thugs to use knives and bulldozers to threaten farmers who refused his offer of compensation to clear off land he wanted to develop.