Two brothers from Ohio who masqueraded as Middle Eastern royalty to defraud victims out of $21 million have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Zubair Al Zubair, 42, and Muzzammil Al Zubair, 31, spent their ill-gotten gains on lavish shopping trips to London via private jet, luxury watches, cars, and a custom-made, gold-plated AK-47-style rifle.
The Scheme
Zubair claimed to be married to a UAE princess, giving him deep ties to royal families. Muzzammil portrayed himself as a prescient hedge fund manager, but his knowledge came from watching the HBO show Billions and YouTube. In one scheme, they conned a Chinese investor out of $17.8 million by claiming they owned a vacant industrial complex and planned to launch a crypto business there. Zubair's ex-girlfriend from the UAE lost $737,000.
Bribery and Corruption
The brothers bribed East Cleveland Mayor's chief of staff Michael Smedley with expensive gifts, meals, cash payments, Cleveland Browns suite tickets, prized Japanese wagyu beef, cigars, and promises of future employment. In return, Smedley provided them with 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.
US District Judge Donald Nugent told them: 'You stole a lot of money, defrauded people and put East Cleveland in a terrible light. You basically flaunted it by driving around in a Rolls Royce and taking private planes.'
Convictions and Sentences
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 was sentenced to 24 years, Muzzammil to 23 years, and Smedley to just over eight years in prison. All three said they would appeal.
