Grammy Winner Faces Prison Over Campaign Finance Crimes
Prakazrel 'Pras' Michel, the Grammy-winning rapper from the iconic hip-hop group The Fugees, has been handed a 14-year prison sentence for illegally channelling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former US President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. The 52-year-old artist received his sentence from US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington on Thursday, declining to address the court before learning his fate.
High-Profile Trial Featuring Celebrity Testimony
In April 2023, a federal jury convicted Michel on 10 criminal counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. The trial garnered significant attention due to testimony from high-profile witnesses including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Prosecutors revealed that Michel obtained more than $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Jho Low, using straw donors to funnel portions of this money to Obama's campaign.
Justice Department prosecutors had argued for a life sentence, describing Michel as someone who "betrayed his country for money" and "lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes." They emphasised that 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."
Defence Arguments and Appeal Plans
Michel's defence team, led by attorney Peter Zeidenberg, described the 14-year sentence as "completely disproportionate to the offense" and confirmed they will appeal both the conviction and sentence. The defence had recommended a three-year prison term, arguing that a life sentence would be "absurdly high" punishment typically reserved for terrorists and drug cartel leaders.
In a surprising twist to the case, Michel's request for a new trial was rejected in August 2024. This request was partly based on his defence attorney's use of a generative AI program during closing arguments. The judge determined that this and other trial errors didn't constitute a serious miscarriage of justice.
Michel's attorneys claimed that Jho Low's motivation wasn't political influence but rather "to obtain a photograph with himself and then-President Obama." Low, who financed The Wolf of Wall Street starring DiCaprio, remains a fugitive while maintaining his innocence.
The Brooklyn-native rapper, whose parents immigrated from Haiti, co-founded The Fugees with childhood friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The hip-hop trio achieved massive commercial success, winning two Grammy awards and selling tens of millions of albums worldwide during the 1990s.
