Grammy-winning artist Prakazrel (Pras) Michel from the music group Fugees has been given a 14-year prison sentence for illegally channelling millions of dollars in foreign funds to support the re-election campaign of former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2012. The 53-year-old Michel chose not to speak before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly delivered the sentence.
In April 2023, Michel was found guilty by a federal jury on multiple charges, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent, following a trial in Washington, D.C. Testimonies during the trial included statements from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions.
Prosecutors from the Justice Department argued that Michel deserved a life sentence based on federal guidelines due to his actions of betraying his country for financial gain and engaging in deceptive practices to execute his illicit schemes. Michel’s defense attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, criticized the 14-year sentence as excessively severe and stated that Michel plans to appeal both the conviction and sentencing.
Michel, a co-founder of the Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, received significant funds from Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, and directed a portion of these funds through intermediary donors to support Obama’s campaign. Michel’s attorneys highlighted that Low’s intention for the donations was to secure a photo opportunity with the former President, rather than to influence any policy decisions.
Despite Michel’s efforts to halt a Justice Department inquiry into Low, tamper with witnesses, and commit perjury during the trial, the judge rejected his plea for a new trial in August 2024. This decision was partly influenced by concerns over the use of generative AI technology by Michel’s defense team during the trial’s closing arguments.
