Two fraudsters who impersonated a senior ally of the French President Emmanuel Macron, have been sentenced jail by a courtroom in Paris.

Franco-Israelis Gilbert Chikli and Anthony Lasarevitsch tricked wealthy people out of more than €55 million.

They conned their victims by donning a silicone mask and by impersonating Jean-Yves Le Drian, a senior ally of the French President Emmanuel Macron.

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They denied fraud and usurping Le Drian's identity but were found guilty.

Chikli was jailed for 11 years and fined €2 million while Lasarevitsch received a seven-year sentence and a fine of €1 million.

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According to the prosecutors, in meetings arranged on Skype, one of the fraudsters used to wear a custom-made Le Drian mask and sit in a facsimile of Mr Le Drian's ministerial office along with flags and a portrait of then-President François Hollande.

They would ask politicians and prominent business leaders to part with money for ransom payments to hostage-takers or for anti-terror operations.

Previously, the prosecutors had asked for sentences of 10 and 14 years for two alleged fraudsters in the bizarre scam that took place from 2015-2016 when Le Drian was defence minister.&nbsp;

Le Drian became the foreign minister of France in 2017 after serving five years as the defence minister.&nbsp;

Two fraudsters who impersonated a senior ally of the French President Emmanuel Macron, have been sentenced jail by a courtroom in Paris. Franco-Israelis Gilbert Chikli and Anthony Lasarevitsch tricked wealthy people out of more than €55 million.

Two fraudsters who impersonated a senior ally of the French President Emmanuel Macron, have been sentenced jail by a courtroom in Paris. Franco-Israelis Gilbert Chikli and Anthony Lasarevitsch tricked wealthy people out of more than €55 million. They conned their victims by donning a silicone mask and by impersonating Jean-Yves Le Drian, a senior ally of the French President Emmanuel Macron. Also read: French FM urges Iran to show 'political maturity' over US nuclear deal pullout They denied fraud and usurping Le Drian's identity but were found guilty. Chikli was jailed for 11 years and fined €2 million while Lasarevitsch received a seven-year sentence and a fine of €1 million. Also read: Romance scam: How to avoid falling prey to online dating scamsters According to the prosecutors, in meetings arranged on Skype, one of the fraudsters used to wear a custom-made Le Drian mask and sit in a facsimile of Mr Le Drian's ministerial office along with flags and a portrait of then-President François Hollande. They would ask politicians and prominent business leaders to part with money for ransom payments to hostage-takers or for anti-terror operations. Previously, the prosecutors had asked for sentences of 10 and 14 years for two alleged fraudsters in the bizarre scam that took place from 2015-2016 when Le Drian was defence minister. Le Drian became the foreign minister of France in 2017 after serving five years as the defence minister.

Fraudsters who impersonated French President Macron's senior ally jailed after trial

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Fraudsters who impersonated French President Macron's senior ally jailed after trial