Pras Michel, founding member of the Fugees, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after being convicted on multiple charges involving conspiracy, illegal foreign lobbying and funneling money into U.S. political campaigns. The sentence was delivered by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., more than two years after a jury found Michel guilty on 10 counts connected to a wide ranging influence scheme.
Judge Colleen Kollar Kotelly said Michel showed “arrogance” and “a lack of remorse,” adding that the scale of the money involved and the attempts to influence government officials justified a lengthy sentence. Michel will also serve three years of supervised release after prison and must forfeit nearly 65 million dollars tied to the scheme.
Prosecutors argued that Michel accepted more than 120 million dollars from Malaysian financier Jho Low, a fugitive facing charges related to the 1MDB corruption scandal. According to the government, Michel funneled part of that money into the 2012 Obama reelection campaign using straw donors, which violated campaign finance laws. He was also accused of lobbying the Trump administration to halt investigations into Low.
Michel’s defense team pushed back on the severity of the charges and argued that he acted on poor legal advice. Attorney Peter Zeidenberg said the 14 year sentence was “completely disproportionate to the offense” and announced plans to appeal. Michel’s lawyers have repeatedly claimed that the rapper believed he was acting as a legitimate intermediary and was unaware of the legal boundaries he crossed.
The sentencing marks a dramatic turn for Michel, who rose to fame in the 1990s as part of the Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. His work helped shape an era of socially conscious hip hop that remains influential today. Now, he becomes one of the most high profile entertainers to be convicted of crimes involving foreign influence in U.S. politics. His legal team says they will continue fighting the conviction, but for now, Michel faces one of the toughest sentences ever given to an artist in a case of this kind.
