Pras Michel: Fugees rapper ‘who betrayed US for money’ is jailed for 14 years | US News
A Grammy-winning rapper who “betrayed his country for money” has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, who was part of 1990s hip-hop group The Fugees, was convicted of illegally funnelling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. The Justice Department had accused the 53-year-old of accepting $120m (£92m) from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, who wanted to gain political influence in the US. Image: The Fugees after winning Grammys in 1997. Pic: Reuters Prosecutors said Michel “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his actions” – and sought to deceive the White House, senior politicians and the FBI for almost a decade. In 2018, it is claimed he urged the Trump administration and the justice department to drop embezzlement investigations against Low. Michel was convicted of 10 counts by a federal jury in 2023 – and last month, he was ordered to forfeit about $65m (£50m) for his role in the scheme. Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio testified at the trial, and Low was a primary …
