Miami: A man who repeatedly impersonates Saudi royals to con investors and live a lavish lifestyle has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for a ruse that fell apart when a victim saw him eating pork, which is prohibited in Islam. Anthony Gignac, 48, received the sentence Friday in Miami for stealing at least USD 8 million while pretending to be "Sultan Bin Kahlid Al-Saud." He bought a Ferrari, Rolex watches and rented a condo on an exclusive South Florida island with his loot. He pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud, impersonating a diplomat and other crimes.

The Miami Herald reports that US District Judge Cecilia Altonaga called him a "mastermind." Prosecutors said it was at least the 11th time Gignac, 48, had been arrested for impersonating a Saudi prince. "He was the so-called Saudi prince. He enveloped himself in the trappings of Saudi royalty. He had everyone believing he was a Saudi prince," Altonaga said. Gignac was born in Colombia but was adopted by a Michigan family as a young child. He is an American citizen. He told Altonaga on Friday that while he accepted responsibility, other people were involved and should have been charged.