Ohio brothers who posed as Middle Eastern royalty receive lengthy sentence for $21M fraud scheme

Two Ohio brothers who posed arsenic Middle Eastern royalty were sentenced Tuesday for their roles successful a bid of fraud schemes totaling astir $21 million, which prosecutors accidental were carried retired with the assistance of a erstwhile East Cleveland mayoral aide.

Zubair and Muzzammil Al Zubair, astir 42 and 31, were sentenced to 24 and 23 years successful prison, respectively, according to section outlet Cleveland. 

"You stole a batch of money, defrauded radical and enactment East Cleveland successful a unspeakable light," U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent said, referring to the brothers. "You fundamentally flaunted it by driving astir successful a Rolls Royce and taking backstage planes."

The mayoral main of unit the brace bribed, 56-year-old Michael Smedley, was besides sentenced to conscionable implicit 8 years down bars for providing the brothers with the screen they needed to transportation retired their schemes betwixt 2020 and 2023, according to the outlet.

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A shopper walks done the Mall of Emirates buying analyzable successful Dubai, United Arab Emirates, connected Friday, Dec. 27, 2019.  (Christopher Pike/Bloomberg )

Authorities said the brothers built a façade of utmost wealthiness and elite connections, with Zubair falsely claiming to beryllium joined to a United Arab Emirates princess, and Muzzammil claiming to beryllium a hedge money manager based solely connected watching YouTube videos.

Their lavish manner yet included backstage jets, luxury watches, a fleet of high-end vehicles, dozens of firearms and adjacent a custom-made, gold-plated AK-47-style rifle.

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They besides chartered backstage jets for home and planetary buying trips to destinations specified arsenic Aspen, Miami, London, Bucharest and Madrid, according to national officials. 

Prosecutors said that implicit the years, the brothers carried retired aggregate schemes to bargain wealth and spot from victims, including Zubair’s erstwhile girlfriend, from the UAE, who mislaid $737,000, the outlet Cleveland reported.

A Rolls Royce conveyance drives down Rodeo Blvd. successful Beverly Hills connected October 19, 2006. (Richard Hartog/Los Angeles Times)

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Another large strategy progressive the brothers allegedly bilking a Chinese capitalist retired of astir $18 cardinal by falsely claiming they owned an concern analyzable and would bring a cryptocurrency concern to the site, the outlet said. 

To facilitate their crimes, prosecutors said the brace corrupted Smedley with costly gifts and meals, currency payments, Cleveland Browns suite tickets, prized Japanese wagyu beef, cigars, upscale eating and promises of aboriginal employment.

In exchange, prosecutors said Smedley abused his metropolis presumption to assistance the brothers. He was accused of attempting to unafraid authorities backing for their businesses, providing authoritative metropolis letterhead, issuing them constabulary credentials, and formally appointing Zubair arsenic an "International Economic Advisor" for East Cleveland.

Seats onboard a Dassault Falcon 6X concern pitchy connected show connected Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg)

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Following a two-week trial, each 3 men were convicted by a national assemblage of conspiracy to perpetrate bribery involving programs receiving national funds, conspiracy to perpetrate honorable services ligament fraud and Hobbs Act conspiracy.

The brothers were additionally convicted of aggregate counts of ligament fraud, wealth laundering, and theft of authorities funds. 

Zubair was additionally convicted of willful nonaccomplishment to record taxation returns.