Fugees rapper Pras Michel sentenced to 14 years for channeling foreign money
A U.S. federal judge has sentenced Prakazrel “Pras” Michel — member of the iconic 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees — to 14 years in prison for funnelling illegal foreign donations into former President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
Michel, 52, was convicted on 10 counts last year, including conspiracy, witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. He declined to speak in court before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly handed down the sentence in Washington, DC, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
The case centered around more than $120 million Michel received from Malaysian fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (Jho Low), the alleged mastermind of the multibillion-dollar 1MDB corruption scandal. Prosecutors said Michel used straw donors to secretly route Low’s money into U.S. politics, violating laws that strictly ban foreign contributions.
Justice Department prosecutors accused Michel of “betraying his country for money,” saying he lied “unapologetically and unrelentingly” while trying to influence a sitting U.S. president on behalf of a foreign criminal.
Court filings say Michel also attempted to derail the Justice Department’s 1MDB investigation and later perjured himself during the trial.
Federal guidelines suggested a potential life sentence, but Michel’s lawyers argued that the crimes were not politically motivated, claiming Low’s primary goal was simply to obtain a photograph with Obama. They called the 14-year term “absurdly high” and said Michel will appeal.
Jho Low remains at large, denying wrongdoing while continuing to evade authorities.
Michel rose to global fame in the 1990s as a founding member of the Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The group sold tens of millions of records and won two Grammy Awards before disbanding.
Similar news
