Former Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for acting as an unregistered foreign agent and laundering millions in one of the biggest political influence cases in U.S. history.
The 52-year-old stood quietly in court Thursday as Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly handed down the term. He offered no statement before being led away.
From Grammy Stage to Courtroom
Michel was convicted in April 2023 on ten counts, including:
- Conspiracy
- Witness tampering
- Acting as an agent of China and Malaysia
- Funnelling illegal foreign money into Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign
- Trying to stop a U.S. probe into fugitive financier Jho Low
Prosecutors say Michel took over $120 million from Low – the mastermind behind the 1MDB scandal and used straw donors to hide the cash trail.
Celebrity Witnesses, Global Plot
The trial read like a Hollywood thriller:
- Leonardo DiCaprio testified about meetings with Michel and Low
- Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions also took the stand
“He Sold Out His Country for Cash”
Prosecutors called Michel’s actions a betrayal of America, while the defence insisted the sentence was far too harsh for a first-time offender who is not a drug kingpin or terrorist.
Michel’s lawyer Peter Zeidenberg said an immediate appeal has been filed.
From Hip-Hop Icon to Federal Inmate
Once part of the Grammy-winning Fugees trio that sold 22 million copies of The Score, Michel now faces more than a decade behind bars.
The case serves as a warning: celebrity status offers no shield when foreign money meets American politics.
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