Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel, a founding member of the Fugees, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison following his conviction on charges of illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign. The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, marks a significant turn in a case that has drawn considerable attention and involved testimony from high-profile figures.
Michel, 52, declined to address the court prior to receiving his sentence on Thursday. In April 2023, a federal jury found him guilty on 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. The Justice Department prosecutors argued for a life sentence, asserting that Michel "betrayed his country for money" and "lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes". They contended that his sentence should reflect the breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country, and the magnitude of his greed.
Prosecutors stated that Michel took $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho and tried to block a federal investigation. Michel was found guilty of campaign finance violations, money laundering, illegal lobbying, witness tampering, and lying to banks. In addition to the prison sentence, Michel's sentence includes three years of probation, and he must forfeit more than $64 million.
Defense attorney Peter Zeidenberg characterized the 14-year sentence as "completely disproportionate to the offense". He had recommended a three-year prison sentence. According to his lawyer, Michel intends to appeal his conviction and sentence. Michel's attorneys argued that a life sentence would be an "absurdly high" punishment, typically reserved for deadly terrorists and drug cartel leaders.
The trial, held in Washington, D.C., featured testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. DiCaprio testified about how Low used some of his embezzled fortune to finance Martin Scorsese's 2013 film, "The Wolf of Wall Street," as part of a broader effort to win influence in Hollywood. Low also donated to DiCaprio's environmental foundation. DiCaprio stated that he ceased communications with Low in 2015 after discovering the illegal sources of his money.
Michel purportedly rejected a plea deal that would have allowed him to plead guilty to obstruction of justice and a lesser violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Under the terms of the deal, he would have spent up to 16 months in prison, and the government would have returned a portion of the millions of dollars seized from Michel's accounts.
As a consequence of Michel's legal issues, the Fugees were compelled to cancel a planned reunion tour in 2021.
