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

Two Ohio brothers who posed as Middle Eastern royalty were sentenced Tuesday for their roles in a series of fraud schemes totaling roughly $21 million, which prosecutors say were carried out with the help of a former East Cleveland mayoral aide.

Zubair and Muzzammil Al Zubair, roughly 42 and 31, were sentenced to 24 and 23 years in prison, respectively, according to local outlet Cleveland. 

“You stole a lot of money, defrauded people and put East Cleveland in a terrible light,” U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent said, referring to the brothers. “You basically flaunted it by driving around in a Rolls Royce and taking private planes.”

The mayoral chief of staff the pair bribed, 56-year-old Michael Smedley, was also sentenced to just over eight years behind bars for providing the brothers with the cover they needed to carry out their schemes between 2020 and 2023, according to the outlet.

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Authorities said the brothers built a façade of extreme wealth and elite connections, with Zubair falsely claiming to be married to a United Arab Emirates princess, and Muzzammil claiming to be a hedge fund manager based solely on watching YouTube videos.

Their lavish lifestyle ultimately included private jets, luxury watches, a fleet of high-end vehicles, dozens of firearms and even a custom-made, gold-plated AK-47-style rifle.

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They also chartered private jets for domestic and international shopping trips to destinations such as Aspen, Miami, London, Bucharest and Madrid, according to federal officials. 

Prosecutors said that over the years, the brothers carried out multiple schemes to steal money and property from victims, including Zubair’s former girlfriend, from the UAE, who lost $737,000, the outlet Cleveland reported.

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Another major scheme involved the brothers allegedly bilking a Chinese investor out of nearly $18 million by falsely claiming they owned an industrial complex and would bring a cryptocurrency business to the site, the outlet said. 

To facilitate their crimes, prosecutors said 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.

In exchange, prosecutors said Smedley abused his city position to assist the brothers. He was accused of attempting to secure state funding for their businesses, providing official city letterhead, issuing them police credentials, and formally appointing Zubair as an “International Economic Advisor” for East Cleveland.

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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.

The brothers were additionally convicted of multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of government funds. 

Zubair was additionally convicted of willful failure to file tax returns.