A Grammy-winning rapper and founding member of the Fugees was hit with 14 years in federal prison after he “attempted to manipulate a sitting president” and “betrayed the US for money.”
Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, 53, who in 1990 founded the Fugees alongside rappers Wyclef Jean and Lauren Hill, was found guilty in April 2023 on 10 felony counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
Prosecutors argued that the Grammy-winning rapper used his connections and influence to illegally funnel millions of dollars into U.S. politics from a foreign financier – Low Taek Jho. The Malaysian businessman, also known as Jho Low, has been accused of embezzling billions of dollars from 1MDB, a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.
Authorities have linked Low – now considered a fugitive – to a global web of fraud and corruption, although he continues to deny wrongdoing.
‘Attempted to manipulate a sitting president’
According to The New York Times, Michel accepted $120 million from Low and distributed some of that money through a network of straw donors to support Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, violating federal campaign finance law.
“Prakazrel Michel betrayed his country for money,” the Justice Department writes in its sentencing memorandum. “He funneled millions of dollars in prohibited foreign contributions into a United States presidential election and attempted to manipulate a sitting president to serve a foreign criminal and a foreign power.”
Pushed for life
Prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice pushed for a much harsher sentence – way more than 14 years – stating in court filings that federal sentencing guidelines suggested life in prison.
They stressed Michel’s “conspiracies sought to exploit and deceive the White House,” and argued that he had lied “unapologetically and unrelentingly” to carry out his scheme.
“After Michel was caught, he tampered with witnesses and then perjured himself at trial,” court documents state. “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.”
‘Absurd results’
Michel’s defense attorneys called the punishment “absurdly high,” comparing it to sentences handed to leaders of drug cartels and terrorist organizations.
Lead defense attorney Peter Zeidenberg had urged the judge to sentence the “Ghetto Supastar” singer to no more than three years, calling the prosecution’s stance extreme, the Hollywood Reporter reports.
“The Government’s position is one that would cause Inspector Javert to recoil,” the defense team wrote, referring to the fanatical police inspector in Viktor Hugo’s Les Misérables. “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.”
Leo DiCaprio testified
High-profile testimonies were heard throughout the lengthy case, including from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, both called to testify during the trial in Washington, D.C.
DiCaprio had previously worked with Low on film-related projects, while Sessions was questioned about lobbying efforts allegedly tied to Michel’s dealings with foreign interests.
Michel declined to speak in court before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him to 14 years in prison on Nov. 20.
Photo with Obama
His legal team maintained that Michel’s actions were not part of any effort to influence U.S. policy. According to court documents cited by The New York Times, Zeidenberg claimed that “Low’s motivation for giving Michel money to donate was not so that he could achieve some policy objective.”
Instead, he “simply wanted to obtain a photograph with himself and then-President Obama,” and Michel acted as a go-between to make that happen.
Now, with his sentencing complete, Michel faces more than a decade behind bars. His legal team has not yet announced whether they plan to appeal the decision.
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