Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of the Fugees has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of secretly funneling millions in foreign money into Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.
The Brooklyn-born Grammy winner, who co-founded the Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, remained silent on Thursday as U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly delivered the sentence in a Washington, DC, courtroom. Michel was also given three years of probation and was ordered last month to forfeit $64 million linked to the case. Michel — known for hits like "Ready or Not" — was convicted in April 2023 on 10 charges, including conspiracy and failing to register as a foreign agent.
Behind the Bars
His high-profile trial even featured testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Michel helped run a global scheme involving $120 million supplied by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, who was desperate to build political clout in the U.S., according to the Justice Department.
Michel allegedly funneled portions of that money through about 20 "straw donors," who then passed the cash along to Barack Obama's campaign.
Prosecutors pushed for a life sentence, accusing the rapper of "betraying his country for money" and claiming he lied again and again to keep the scheme alive.
"After Michel was caught, he tampered with witnesses and then perjured himself at trial," the Justice Department said in court documents.
"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," the prosecutors said.
Protesting His Sentence
Michel's attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, pushed back on the request for a life sentence, calling it "absurdly high" and instead suggesting a three-year term. Zeidenberg added that Michel's legal team intends to challenge both the conviction and the sentence in an appeal.
"Throughout his career Pras has broken barriers," his spokesperson, Erica Dumas, told Rolling Stone.
"This is not the end of his story. He appreciates the outpouring of support as he approaches the next chapter."
