Two brothers who managed to trick people out of $21 million posing as Middle Eastern royalty are actually from Ohio.
Zubair and Muzzammil Al Zubair spent their takings on lavish shopping trips to London by private jet, luxury watches, cars and even a custom-made, gold-plated AK-47-style rifle.
Zubair claimed to be married to a United Arab Emirates princess giving him deep ties to royal families.
Muzzammil insisted he was a prescient hedge fund manager but had actually got his knowledge from watching the HBO show Billions and YouTube.
In one scheme, they conned a Chinese investor out of $17.8 million by telling her that they owned the vacant industrial complex and were planning to launch a Crypto business there.
Zubair’s ex-girlfriend, from the UAE, also lost $737,000, according to local outlet Cleveland.
‘You stole a lot of money, defrauded people and put East Cleveland in a terrible light,’ US District Judge Donald Nugent told them.
‘You basically flaunted it by driving around in a Rolls Royce and taking private planes.’
The pair got their cover story by bribing the mayor’s chief of staff Michael Smedley into giving them official titles, business cards and letterheads to use in their schemes between 2020 and 2023.
Zubair was even appointed an ‘International Economic Advisor’ for East Cleveland.
The pair corrupted Smedley with expensive gifts and meals, cash payments, Cleveland Browns suite tickets, prized Japanese wagyu beef, cigars, upscale dining and promises of future employment.
Following a two-week trial, all three men were convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and Hobbs Act conspiracy.
Zubair and Muzzammil Al Zubair, 42 and 31, were jailed for 24 and 23 years in prison, respectively.
Smedley was also sentenced to just over eight years behind bars. All three said they would be appealing the sentence.