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

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Updated 4:46 PM CST, November 20, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison for a case in which he was convicted of illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

Michel, 52, declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him.

In April 2023, a federal jury convicted Michel of 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. The trial in Washington, D.C., included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Justice Department prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines recommended a life sentence for Michel, whom they said “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.”



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/prakazrel-pras-michel-rapper-fugees-sentencing-626135406baa3b045f1ac4fc5ec3ad42

[AZJonnie]

1. I'm SURE it isn't that he's black, and so is Obama, or anything, so stop saying that!

How many white people near IQ47 have been busted for acting as unregistered agents for foreign governments and gotten slaps on the wrist? Like, 10 by now at least I think?

[tulipsandroses]

2. Pras made his bed - However I am annoyed that they left out that he was trying to buy favor in the trump administration

as well as the Obama administration Well, he can always try to buy a pardon from trump, if he has any money left. He was the least talented. Lauryn Hill's voice was the best thing about the group - she still tours to sold out crowds. Wyclef writes, produces for other artists. Pras resorted to crime when the fame went away.


Michel faced charges stemming from his relationship to Jho Low, a Malaysian billionaire accused of stealing $4 billion from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.

Back in 2012, prosecutors said Michel used Low's illegal foreign money to buy seats for people at fundraisers for then-President Barack Obama.

Years later, after the FBI started investigating Low for stealing money, Low wanted Michel and others to help him convince the Trump White House to go easy on Low.

One part of that alleged scheme was to try to get Trump to send a dissident living in the U.S. back to China to curry favor with the Chinese government.

Prosecutors said Michel collected about $100 million from Low to try to influence two U.S. presidential administrations.
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1172342471/pras-michel-trial-verdict-guilty

[msongs]

3. one of the two gentlemen in the pic is a snappy dresser.....hmmm nt

[BaronChocula]

5. You must be talking about Rumpledwiltskin

His duds are FIRE!

[IronLionZion]

8. He does look great in that suit

must be tailored or altered to fit him well.

[popsdenver]

4. Fair is fair

Send the ENTIRE NRA administration to jail with him for accepting Russian Oligarch money and channelling it to Trump and all Republican Senators, House Members, Senate Members, and Governors in 2016. He used the "Russian" branch of the NRA to shovel money to the headquarters of the NRA here in the U.S. What a Scam........

[JoseBalow]

6. 14 years for illegal donations?!?!

*Scrolls down to picture of lawyer* ... oh.

[SunSeeker]

7. "betrayed his country for money" - I had no idea that was still a crime.

[maxsolomon]

9. that sentence feels excessive.

people get less time for manslaughter.