Federal jury convicts two brothers and a public official who orchestrated elaborate fraud and bribery conspiracy

Date: Feb. 2, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

CLEVELAND – A federal jury has convicted two brothers and a public official for their roles in a multi-layered, elaborate fraud and bribery conspiracy that spanned across multiple states and countries.

After a more than two-week-long trial in front of U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent, Zubair Al Zubair, aka Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio; his brother Muzzammil Al Zubair, aka Muzzammil Ibn Muhammad, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio; and their associate Michael Leon Smedley of Cleveland were found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and Hobbs Act conspiracy. The Al Zubair brothers were also both found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, several counts of money laundering, theft of government funds, and aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Zubair Al Zubair was also found guilty of willful failure to file tax returns.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court before the jury, from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers used several deceptive strategies to obtain money and property from victims. Their schemes involved investment fraud, a fraudulent Small Business Administration COVID emergency business loan, cryptocurrency mining investments, and commercial and residential real estate transactions.

The Al Zubair brothers’ ill-gotten proceeds allowed them to acquire a trove of jewelry, luxury timepieces and vehicles, as well as more than 80 firearms including a custom made, gold-plated AK-47 style rifle. Luxury vehicles they acquired with the proceeds of their illegal activity included Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Porsche, Mercedes, and Range Rover. Domestic and international travel to multiple places—such as Aspen, Miami, London, Bucharest, and Madrid—included the use of private jets, staying at high-end hotels, and going on shopping sprees. Zubair Al Zubair also leased a residential property in an upscale neighborhood in Bratenahl, Ohio, before being evicted in August 2023.

The two brothers made exorbitant claims about their extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair claimed to be married to a United Arab Emirates princess. His brother, Muzzammil, claimed to be a hedge fund manager even though his only education on hedge funds was the result of watching YouTube videos. Under the illusion of being extremely educated, successful, and well-connected, the brothers befriended Smedley, a public official employed with the city of East Cleveland.

As the chief of staff to the mayor of East Cleveland, Smedley used his position to benefit the Al Zubair brothers. To reward and influence Smedley, the Al Zubair brothers bribed him with suite tickets to Cleveland Browns games, cigars, prized Japanese wagyu beef, and meals at high-end restaurants, as well as offers of future employment. There was also evidence presented at trial that the Al Zubair brothers were paying Smedley. In return, Smedley helped the Al Zubair brothers by attempting to secure state funding for their business; securing official letters on the city’s letterhead; having Zubair Al Zubair appointed as an International Economic Advisor to the city and obtaining business cards in his name; and providing the brothers with official police badges from the city of East Cleveland.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 5. The defendants face the maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for each of the most serious offenses.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the IRS−Criminal Investigation and the FBI Cleveland Division. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Joseph H. Walsh for the Northern District of Ohio.

IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.