Rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in a massive international scam that funneled funds into American political campaigns, his lawyer confirmed Friday.
Michel, 53, a founding member of the 1990s Grammy-winning group the Fugees, was convicted in 2023 of money laundering and campaign finance violations tied to a global influence scheme orchestrated by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho. The scheme allegedly funneled millions into former President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
A jury found Michel guilty on ten counts, including conspiracy, forgery, and acting as an undisclosed agent for a foreign government. Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio also testified during the trial.
Michel was previously linked to illegal lobbying efforts in 2017 on behalf of China, aiming to extradite entrepreneur Guo Wengui, accused of defrauding investors of over $1 billion.
His attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, announced plans to appeal, calling the sentence excessive and disproportionate compared to other individuals involved in the case.
“It is true that Mr. Michel was sentenced to 168 months,” Zeidenberg said, emphasizing that the evidence did not support such a harsh penalty. “When you compare him to his co-defendants—Elliott Broidy, George Higginbotham, and Nickie Lum Davis—the disparity is glaring. Broidy was pardoned, Higginbotham received three months’ probation, and Davis got 24 months. There’s no justification for Mr. Michel being singled out, aside from his decision to go to trial.”
Prosecutors had described Michel’s actions as a betrayal of his country, funneling prohibited foreign contributions into a U.S. presidential election.
The scandal centers around the 1MDB fund, a Malaysian state investment scheme from which Low allegedly siphoned billions to invest in luxury real estate, fine art, and Hollywood films, including DiCaprio’s The Wolf of Wall Street. The 1MDB scandal ultimately led to the conviction and imprisonment of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Michel, a Haitian-American from Brooklyn, co-founded the Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The group achieved international fame in the 1990s, winning two Grammys and selling tens of millions of albums.
