Camilla Jessen
Fugees star Pras Michel jailed for 14 years.
A founding member of the 1990s group The Fugees has been handed a lengthy prison sentence after what prosecutors described as a years-long effort to corrupt American politics.
His conviction closes one of the most unusual intersections of entertainment, global finance and U.S. elections in recent memory.
Court documents show that the case reached from the Obama administration to the Trump era, and involved a fugitive Malaysian financier.
A decade of deception
According to reporting from Sky News, Prakazrel “Pras” Michel was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for secretly funnelling foreign money into Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
Prosecutors said Michel accepted $120 million from Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, who sought political influence in Washington.
They argued Michel “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his actions” while trying to mislead the White House, senior lawmakers and even the FBI for nearly ten years.
A federal jury convicted him on 10 counts in 2023, and last month he was ordered to forfeit about $65 million linked to the scheme.
Hollywood connections
The case drew further attention when Leonardo DiCaprio testified, Sky News reported.
Low was a major financier of the actor’s 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street, and DiCaprio told the court he was assured at the time that Low’s funding was legitimate.
Prosecutors said Michel later tried to persuade the Trump administration and the Justice Department to drop investigations into Low, who is accused of playing a central role in Malaysia’s vast 1MDB corruption scandal.
He remains a fugitive, though his lawyers insist he is innocent and claim he only wanted a photo with President Obama, not political influence.
A steep sentence — and an appeal
Although prosecutors sought a life term to “reflect the breadth and depth of Michel’s crimes,” his lawyer Peter Zeidenberg argued the 14-year sentence was “completely disproportionate to the offence” and vowed to appeal.
A judge last year rejected Michel’s attempt to secure a new trial after he alleged one of his attorneys had used AI in closing arguments.
Michel, born in Brooklyn, formed The Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, eventually selling tens of millions of records. His downfall marks a stark contrast to the global fame the trio achieved in the 1990s.
Sources: Sky News
