Faux Dubai Prince From Lebanon Sentenced to 20 Years in San Antonio for Wire Fraud Scheme

A Lebanese man, who masqueraded as a prince from Dubai to swindle U.S.-based business owners, has been dealt a heavy hand of justice, sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud. The con artist, identified as 39-year-old Alex Georges Tannous of Ain-Akrine, Lebanon, falsely claimed his royal status involved him in work to help American businesses establish themselves in Dubai, a deceitful narrative he constructed to draw in and defraud his unsuspecting victims. A San Antonio court ordered Tannous to pay $2.2 million in restitution, as reported by the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Duping small business owners out of a whopping $2.5 million, Tannous laid the groundwork for his crimes by demanding an upfront fee to unlock the supposedly available millions from Dubai. However, instead, these funds fueled a lavish lifestyle for himself and his family members. He was apprehended on February 9, and, after being indicted on six counts of wire fraud, pleaded guilty to one count on July 25. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said, “Alex Tannous was a serial con-artist who betrayed dozens of hard-working Americans in San Antonio and elsewhere, capitalizing on the trust he’d developed with them over years,” as mentioned by the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

.

In an effort to address similar crimes, the FBI emphasizes the importance of this case and its commitment to prosecuting financial scams. “Many of his victims were small business owners trying to live the American dream, but instead, they were pulled into a financial nightmare,” stated Aaron Tapp, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI’s San Antonio field office, as per the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

.

Highlighting the priority given to such fraudulent schemes, the FBI encouraged members of the public to report any financial scams they encounter. Special Agent Tapp indicated, “Cases like this are a priority for the FBI, and we encourage anyone who has been a victim of a financial scam to report it at www.tips.fbi.gov,” according to the

U.S. Attorney’s Office

. The federal bureau carries the torch in investigating these complex fraud cases, with the ultimate aim of bringing justice to the affected parties and deterring future bad actors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons was the lead prosecutor in the case against Tannous.

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