Prakazrel ‘Pras’ Michel, a former member of the Grammy Award-winning group Fugees, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for his involvement in a high-profile political corruption case. The 53-year-old musician was convicted in April 2023 on multiple charges, including acting as an unregistered foreign agent, witness tampering, campaign finance violations, and lying to banks. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly delivered the sentence in a Washington, D.C., court on Thursday, despite prosecutors’ recommendation of a life sentence. Michel, who testified in his own defense during the trial, chose not to address the court during sentencing. His attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, criticized the verdict as ‘unsupported by the evidence’ and vowed to appeal, calling the sentence ‘completely disproportionate to the offense.’ The case centered on Michel’s alleged role in funneling over $100 million from Malaysian billionaire Jho Low to influence U.S. politics between 2012 and 2017, spanning the administrations of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Michel was also accused of lobbying on behalf of the Chinese government. Prosecutors argued that Michel ‘betrayed his country for money,’ exploiting and deceiving various U.S. government entities, including the White House and FBI. The trial featured testimony from Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Michel’s co-defendants received significantly lighter sentences, with Elliott Broidy pardoned, George Higginbotham receiving three months of probation, and Nicki Lum Davis sentenced to 24 months. The case also highlighted the broader 1MDB scandal, in which Low allegedly embezzled $4 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund. In June 2024, the U.S. Justice Department reached an agreement with Low to return over $100 million to Malaysia. Michel’s case has raised questions about the enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which has seen narrowed prosecutorial scope under Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent memorandum.
Fugees rapper Pras Michel sentenced to 14 years in prison for illegal lobbying
