Thursday, May 7, 2026 - Two Ohio brothers who posed as Middle Eastern royalty have been sentenced for their roles in a series of fraud schemes totaling roughly $21 million.
Zubair and Muzzammil Al Zubair, roughly 42 and 31, were
sentenced on Tuesday, May 5, 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,” US District Judge Donald Nugent said, referring
to the brothers.
“You basically flaunted it by driving around in a
Rolls-Royce and taking private planes.”
According to prosecutors, the crimes were carried out with
the help of a former East Cleveland mayoral aide.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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