Two Ohio brothers who posed as Middle Eastern princes were sentenced on Tuesday for their participation in a series of fraud schemes totaling around $21 million, which authorities said were carried out with the assistance of a former East Cleveland mayoral aide.
Zubair and Muzzammil Al Zubair, both around 42 and 31, were sentenced to 24 and 23 years in prison, respectively, according to local station Cleveland.
“You stole a lot of money, defrauded people, and painted East Cleveland in a bad light,” US District Judge Donald Nugent told the brothers.
“You basically flaunted it by driving around in a Rolls Royce and taking private planes.”
Michael Smedley, 56, the mayoral chief of staff the pair bribed, was also sentenced to just over eight years in prison for providing the brothers with the cover they needed to carry out their plans between 2020 and 2023, according to the site.
Authorities said the brothers created a facade of extraordinary riches and aristocratic connections, with Zubair falsely claiming to be married to a United Arab Emirates princess and Muzzammil claiming to be a hedge fund manager based mainly on YouTube videos.
Their extravagant lifestyle eventually encompassed private aircraft, luxury watches, a fleet of high-end cars, dozens of weaponry, and even a custom-made, gold-plated AK-47-style rifle.
According to federal officials, they also used private jets for domestic and foreign shopping trips to places like Aspen, Miami, London, Bucharest, and Madrid.
Prosecutors said the brothers used several scams over the years to steal money and property from victims, including Zubair’s former girlfriend from the UAE, who lost $737,000, according to Cleveland.
Another significant scheme had the brothers reportedly defrauding a Chinese investor of over $18 million by fraudulently claiming ownership of an industrial complex and plans to establish a cryptocurrency firm there, according to the publication.
Prosecutors allege that the couple bribed Smedley with lavish gifts and dinners, cash payments, Cleveland Browns suite tickets, premium Japanese wagyu beef, cigars, upmarket eating, and promises of future employment.
In exchange, prosecutors claimed Smedley used his city position to help the brothers.
He was accused of attempting to gain state support for their firms, giving official city letterhead, issuing police credentials, and legally naming Zubair as a “International Economic Advisor” for East Cleveland.
Following a two-week trial, a federal jury found all three men guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery using federally funded programs, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and Hobbs Act conspiracy.
The brothers were also convicted on various counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of government monies.
Zubair was also convicted of deliberate neglect to file tax returns.
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