Prakazrel ‘Pras’ Michel, a Grammy-winning rapper, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for financial crimes related to foreign contributions.
Originally from Brooklyn, Michel gained fame as a founding member of The Fugees alongside childhood friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The group achieved massive success, selling millions of records and earning Michel a Grammy award.
In recent years, Michel, now 53, faced legal troubles. He was found guilty of illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to support Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign against Mitt Romney.
In April 2023, a federal judge convicted Michel on ten counts, including acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government and conspiracy.
The Justice Department pushed for a life sentence, accusing Michel of betraying his country for financial gain and lying persistently to execute his plans.
Prosecutors argued, “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.”
Michel’s defense team described the sentence as excessively harsh. Michel chose not to address the court before US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly imposed a 14-year sentence on November 20.
Peter Zeidenberg, Michel’s attorney, argued for a three-year sentence, suggesting that the punishment equated to those of terrorists and drug cartel leaders.
“The Government’s position is one that would cause Inspector Javert to recoil and, if anything, simply illustrates just how easily the Guidelines can be manipulated to produce absurd results, and how poorly equipped they are, at least on this occasion, to determine a fair and just sentence,” Michel’s attorneys commented in a court document.
Michel’s request for a new trial was denied last year after he claimed one of his lawyers used AI during closing arguments.
Low Taek Jho, implicated in the scandal, is accused of embezzling billions from a Malaysian state fund. He maintains his innocence and denies involvement in the case.
His lawyers claim, “Low’s motivation for giving Michel money to donate was not so that he could achieve some policy objective,” but rather to obtain a photograph with President Obama.