Fugees rapper Pras Michel sentenced to 14 years in prison over illegal donations to Obama campaign

Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Thursday for illegally channeling millions of dollars in foreign money to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

The 53-year-old Michel remained silent when given the opportunity to address the court before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly handed down the sentence in Washington, D.C.

A federal jury convicted Michel in April 2023 on 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. The high-profile trial featured testimony from Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Justice Department prosecutors had sought an even harsher sentence, arguing that federal sentencing guidelines recommended life imprisonment. In court filings, prosecutors portrayed Michel as someone who “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.”

“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,” prosecutors wrote.

Defense attorney Peter Zeidenberg criticized the 14-year sentence as “completely disproportionate to the offense” and confirmed that Michel will appeal both his conviction and sentence. The defense team had recommended a three-year prison term, arguing that a life sentence would be “absurdly high” for Michel’s crimes.

“The Government’s position is one that would cause Inspector Javert to recoil and, if anything, simply illustrates just how easily the Guidelines can be manipulated to produce absurd results,” Michel’s attorneys wrote, referencing the relentless inspector from Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables.”

The case centers on Michel’s relationship with Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho, commonly known as Jho Low. Court records show Michel received over $120 million from Low and directed a portion of those funds to Obama’s campaign through straw donors, violating federal campaign finance laws that prohibit foreign nationals from making political contributions.

Prosecutors also alleged that Michel attempted to derail a Justice Department investigation into Low, tampered with witnesses, and committed perjury during his trial.

Michel rose to fame as a founding member of the influential hip-hop group the Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The Brooklyn native, whose parents immigrated from Haiti, helped the group achieve worldwide success, selling tens of millions of albums and winning two Grammy Awards. Their 1996 album “The Score” is widely considered a hip-hop classic.

Low, who remains a fugitive believed to be living in China, was a major financier of the 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which starred DiCaprio. He continues to maintain his innocence in the face of numerous international investigations into his financial dealings and alleged role in Malaysia’s 1MDB corruption scandal.

Michel’s defense team attempted to downplay Low’s motivations, stating: “Low’s motivation for giving Mr. Michel money to donate was not so that he could achieve some policy objective. Instead, Low simply wanted to obtain a photograph with himself and then-President Obama.”

In August 2024, Judge Kollar-Kotelly rejected Michel’s request for a new trial, which was based partly on his defense attorney’s use of artificial intelligence during closing arguments. The judge determined that this and other alleged trial errors did not constitute a serious miscarriage of justice.

The sentencing marks a dramatic fall for Michel, who once enjoyed international acclaim as a member of one of hip-hop’s most celebrated groups. The case also highlights ongoing concerns about foreign influence in U.S. elections and the enforcement of campaign finance laws.