Man posing as Dubai prince left victims in ‘financial nightmare,’ feds say
A man from Lebanon was sentenced to prison after officials say he stole over $2 million from small businesses in Texas.
Alex Georges Tannous, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, according to a Nov. 7 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
McClatchy News reached out to Tannous’ attorney but did not immediately hear back.
According to officials, Tannous pretended to be a Dubai prince and a businessman. He convinced small and medium-size business owners in San Antonio that he could help grow their businesses into the United Arab Emirates by telling them he was “charged with bringing U.S.-based businesses to market in Dubai,” officials said.
Tannous told the business owners that they needed to make an initial payment to “initiate the flow of funds,” officials said.
“Once the funds were secured, he used the money to support his lavish lifestyle and the lifestyles of multiple family members. In total, Tannous stole approximately $2.5 million from his victims,” officials said.
In 2021, Tannous agreed to partner with a business owner and told them he could help “secure millions from a non-descript Emirati economic development fund,” according to a criminal complaint.
He said in order to secure the funding, the business owner had to come up with $100,000. The business owner sent Tannous $70,000 before Tannous cut off communication, officials said.
“Tannous convinced his victims that he was offering legitimate business opportunities, when in reality, he was simply lining his own pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio field office. “Many of his victims were small business owners trying to live the American dream, but instead they were pulled into a financial nightmare.”
In June 2023, after news of the alleged scheme went public, Tannous boarded a one-way flight to Dubai, officials said. He returned to the United States in January, according to officials. He was indicted in February.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said.
