Rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel has been sentenced to 14 years in a U.S. prison for his role in a billion-dollar Malaysian fraud scheme that funneled foreign money into American politics, his lawyer confirmed on Friday.
Michel, 53, a founding member of the 1990s Grammy-winning group the Fugees, was convicted in 2023 of money laundering and campaign finance crimes tied to a global foreign-influence operation orchestrated by Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho.
Prosecutors said the scheme illegally directed millions of dollars into former U.S. President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
A jury found Michel guilty on 10 criminal charges after a high-profile trial that included testimony from Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio. He was also convicted of conspiracy, forgery, and secretly acting as an agent of a foreign government.
Michel faced additional charges for illegal lobbying on behalf of China in 2017 during Donald Trump’s first term, allegedly attempting to arrange the extradition of Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, who is accused of defrauding investors of more than $1 billion.
His attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, said Michel would appeal, calling the 168-month sentence excessive and unfair. He argued the decision was inconsistent with the evidence and disproportionate compared with penalties received by other defendants.
Zeidenberg pointed to others involved in the case—Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy, former U.S. Justice Department official George Higginbotham, and Hawaii businesswoman Nickie Lum Davis. Broidy was pardoned, Higginbotham received three months’ probation, and Lum Davis was sentenced to 24 months.
“There is no justification for Mr. Michel being singled out, except for the penalty for choosing to go to trial,” Zeidenberg said.
Prosecutors countered that Michel “betrayed his country for money” by moving illegal foreign contributions into a U.S. presidential election and therefore deserved a severe sentence.
Low—now a fugitive believed to be in China—allegedly stole billions from Malaysia’s state investment fund, 1MDB, and used the money to buy luxury properties, fine art, and finance Hollywood films, including The Wolf of Wall Street starring DiCaprio. The scandal led to the fall of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government in 2018 and his eventual imprisonment.
Michel was accused of helping Low secretly channel funds through shell companies to conceal their origins before they were donated to Obama’s campaign.
Born in Brooklyn to Haitian-American parents, Michel formed the Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The group rose to global fame in the 1990s, winning two Grammy Awards and selling tens of millions of records.
AFD
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