World

Lebanese Man Posing As UAE Prince Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison By US

A 39-year-old Lebanese man, Alex Georges Tannous, has received a 20-year prison sentence from a U.S. federal court in San Antonio after being convicted of wire fraud. Tannous, a businessman based in the UAE (United Arab Emirate), falsely portrayed himself as a wealthy  member of Emirati royalty, deceiving his victims with claims of exclusive connections.

Fraudulent Investment Schemes Target American Investors

Court records indicate that Tannous enticed individuals with promises of profitable investment deals, asking them to provide initial payments to access these alleged opportunities. Once he received these funds, he used them to finance an extravagant lifestyle for himself and his family, as outlined in a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice on November 7. Investigators reported that he ultimately extracted about $2.5 million from his unsuspecting victims.

Guilty Plea and Restitution Order

Following his arrest on February 9 and facing six counts of wire fraud, Tannous admitted guilt on July 25. The court has ordered him to repay $2.2 million in restitution to his victims.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza highlighted Tannous’s betrayal, noting that he exploited the trust of many Americans, particularly in San Antonio, by presenting himself as a reliable business partner. Special Agent Aaron Tapp from the FBI’s San Antonio office emphasized the distress Tannous caused his victims, many of whom were small business owners pursuing their own dreams only to fall into financial hardship due to his deceitful schemes.

World Peace Ambassador for the UAE

Although he was presented online as a “World Peace Ambassador for the UAE” and the chairman of a Dubai-based conglomerate, court records show that Tannous depended on his parents and his ex-wife’s income. In early 2021, he declared bankruptcy to evade repaying his investors.

Tannous was arrested on February 9 of this year and faced six counts of wire fraud. In July, he pleaded guilty to one of the charges, and in addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $2.2 million in restitution to his victims, according to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office yesterday.

Read More: Who Is Professor Dr Salman Al-Dayah? Gaza’s Top Islamic Scholar Issues Fatwa Criticising October 7 Attack

Zubair Amin

Zubair Amin is a Senior Content Producer at NewsX. He produces multimedia content about world affairs, international relations and India's foreign relations. He tweets at @zubaiyramin

Recent Posts

Benjamin Netanyahu Appoints Yechiel Leiter As US Ambassador: Who Is THIS Hardline Settler And Father Of Deceased IDF Soldier?

Yeichel Leiter‘s son, Moshe Leiter, a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), was killed…

14 mins ago

Zomato And Swiggy Found In Violation Of Competition Laws By CCI: Report

After NRAI complaint, investigation revealed that the companies engaged in anti-competitive practices favoring select restaurant…

50 mins ago

Iranian Operatives Charged in Alleged Plot to Assassinate Donald Trump: Know Details About The Assassination Orders

The unsealed court records detail a complex scheme eliminating individuals deemed enemies by the Iranian…

1 hour ago

UN Finds Majority Of Gaza Casualties Are Women And Children, Warns Of Potential War Crimes

UN finds that women and children reportedly comprises nearly 70% of the confirmed fatalitiea in…

1 hour ago

Grammy 2025 Nominations: The Biggest Snubs You Won’t Believe

From Dua Lipa to Tyla, Some of the biggest names in music industry were snubbed…

2 hours ago

Beyoncé Makes History with 11 Nominations at 2025 Grammys | See the Full List of Nominated Artists

Beyoncé leads this year's list with 11 nominations, setting a new one year record for…

3 hours ago