Rapper Pras Michel of the Fugees was given a 14-year prison sentence
The Fugees rapper faced conviction on 10 charges, including serving as an unregistered agent for a foreign government, in April 2023. This stemmed from an international fraud case involving a $100 million payment from disgraced Malaysian financier Jho Low, aimed at influencing the administrations of US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. His sentence has now been issued.
He chose not to speak before US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly delivered his sentence.
However, Pras’ attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, described the punishment as “completely disproportionate to the offense” and intends to appeal both the conviction and the sentence.
Prosecutors aimed for a life sentence, arguing that the 53-year-old rapper had “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.”
They stated: “His sentence ought to capture the extent and seriousness of his offenses, his disregard for the dangers posed to his nation, and the scale of his avarice.”
The team behind the Ready or Not hitmaker had requested a three-year prison sentence, arguing that a life sentence would be a “absurdly high” punishment, as it is usually reserved for terrorists and cartel leaders.
His attorneys stated 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.”
The allegations involved claims that Pras violated campaign finance laws during Barack Obama’s 2012 election campaign and unlawfully engaged with the Trump administration in 2017. However, the musician contended that his primary goal was to earn money and that he received poor legal guidance while attempting to navigate the political landscape.
Pras had previously stated that he “never wanted to be a spy,” yet he still regarded his actions as “a bit exciting.”
He shared with Variety: “I don’t know if subconsciously it was a bit exciting for me … I enjoy spy movies, yet I have never aspired to be a spy. I don’t find that appealing. However, a portion of it seemed to resonate in that way …
“In a technical sense, I am classified as a foreign agent.”
