A Grammy-winning artist was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was convicted of funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.
Fugees rapper Pras Michel, 53, was found guilty of having orchestrated the illegal foreign lobbying scheme on behalf of fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low.
Michel obtained over $120 million from Jho and steered some of that money through straw donors to Obama´s campaign.
The rapper also tried to end a Justice Department investigation of Low, tampered with two witnesses and perjured himself at trial, prosecutors said.
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 included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Michel had publicly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency, expressing hope his case would receive favorable consideration.
'I hope he turn an eye on me,' Michel told TMZ earlier this year, adding he still held 'love for any president' and trusted the process would prevail.
He also drew parallels between his legal battle and Trump's own conviction in a hush money trial during the Biden administration, suggesting both had been victims of an overzealous Justice Department.
The Hollywood Reporter previously said Trump was weighing a possible pardon, though the White House declined to comment and Michel's team later confirmed only that 'all available options' were being explored.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly also ordered Michel to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
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.'
'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,' they wrote.
Defense attorney Peter Zeidenberg said his client's 14-year sentence is 'completely disproportionate to the offense.' Michel will appeal his conviction and sentence, according to his lawyer.
'Elliott Broidy was pardoned, George Higginbotham got 3 months' probation, and Nicki Lum Davis received 24 months. Not to mention that DOJ has announced that FARA will no longer be prosecuted except where there is espionage involved – something not alleged here,' Zeidenberg said.
'There simply is no justification for Mr. Michel being singled out like this except for the penalty for opting for trial. We will appeal.'
Zeidenberg had recommended a three-year prison sentence. A life sentence would be an 'absurdly high' punishment for Michel given that it is typically reserved for deadly terrorists and drug cartel leaders, Michel's attorneys said in a court filing.
'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, and how poorly equipped they are, at least on this occasion, to determine a fair and just sentence,' they wrote.
Additionally, a spokesperson for Michel told The Daily Mail: 'Throughout his career Pras has broken barriers. This is not the end of his story. He appreciates the outpouring of support as he approaches the next chapter.'
In addition to the lengthy sentence, Michel has already been instructed to forfeit $64 million linked to the sprawling influence operation, which prosecutors say sought to pressure U.S. officials into dropping investigations into Low, the alleged mastermind of the massive 1MDB embezzlement scandal.
Federal prosecutors argued Michel deserved a harsh sentence, describing his conduct as a profound breach of national trust.
According to Billboard, they claimed he 'betrayed his country for money,' noting that comparable financial crimes often result in prison terms exceeding two decades.
Michel's legal team pushed back, requesting just 36 months, arguing the government was treating him as if he were a violent cartel leader or terrorist.
He is scheduled to surrender to authorities on January 27.
Low, who has lived in China, was one of the primary financiers of "The Wolf of Wall Street," a movie starring DiCaprio. Low is a fugitive but has maintained his innocence.
"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," Michel´s attorneys wrote.
In August 2024, the judge rejected Michel´s request for a new trial based in part on his defense attorney´s use of a generative AI program during his closing of the trial´s arguments.
The judges said that and other trial errors didn´t amount to a serious miscarriage of justice.
Michel also voiced support for rapper Tory Lanez, incorrectly suggesting a presidential pardon could free him, though Lanez's conviction falls under California's jurisdiction, making any clemency strictly the decision of Governor Gavin Newsom.
Michel was ultimately determined to be a central figure in a bizarre global influence plot involving Hollywood elites, international financiers and political heavyweights.
Prosecutors said he pocketed an estimated $88 million for his role in the scheme.
Michel rose to international prominence in the 1990s as part of the Grammy-winning group Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean.
The trio became global icons with hits including Killing Me Softly, Ready or Not and Fu-Gee-La before disbanding in 1998.
After years of sporadic reunions, Michel's personal and legal troubles overshadowed any comeback hopes.
