WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for his role in a sprawling foreign influence and illegal campaign finance scheme tied to Malaysian financier Jho Low and the 2012 reelection campaign of former President Barack Obama.
Michel, 52, declined to speak before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly handed down the sentence. He was convicted in April 2023 on 10 federal counts, including conspiracy, witness tampering, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, and perjury. The closely watched trial featured testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, underscoring the case’s political and celebrity dimensions.
Prosecutors told the court that Michel “betrayed his country for money,” alleging he received more than $120 million from Jho Low and funneled part of it through straw donors to disguise the source of funds used to support Obama’s 2012 campaign. They argued that, under federal sentencing guidelines, the conduct could have justified a life term, describing Michel’s actions as a serious threat to the integrity of U.S. elections and government decision-making.
The government also said Michel tried to influence a Justice Department investigation into Low — who remains a fugitive — by lobbying U.S. officials on Low’s behalf without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Prosecutors accused Michel of tampering with witnesses and lying repeatedly during his testimony at trial.
Defense attorney Peter Zeidenberg called the 14-year sentence “completely disproportionate,” arguing in court filings that a life term would have been “absurdly high” and more fitting for terrorists or cartel bosses. He said Michel will appeal both the conviction and the sentence, maintaining that his client did not understand the complexity of U.S. campaign and lobbying laws and never set out to undermine the United States.
Born in Brooklyn to Haitian immigrant parents, Michel helped found the Fugees in the 1990s alongside Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. The group’s Grammy-winning album The Score became one of the best-selling hip-hop records of all time, turning Michel into a global star before his pivot into business and politics.
His sentence is among the toughest ever imposed on an American entertainer in a foreign influence and campaign finance case, and legal analysts say the outcome sends a strong signal that U.S. authorities are prepared to aggressively prosecute covert foreign lobbying and election interference schemes
