WASHINGTON, DC — Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on Thursday for a conviction involving the illegal funneling of millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
Michel, 52, declined to address US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly before the verdict.
In April 2023 , a federal jury convicted Michel of 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government . The high-profile trial in Washington, DC, featured testimony from notable figures, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions .
Justice Department argued that federal judgment guidelines recommended a life sentence for Michel, stating he “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.” They argued 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.”
Michel’s defense attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, called the 14-year sentence “completely disproportionate to the offense.” Zeidenberg had recommended a three-year sentence. Michel’s legal team had previously argued in a court filing that a life sentence would be an “absurdly high” punishment, typically reserved for “deadly terrorists and drug cartel leaders.” The defense criticizes the government’s position, writing, “The Government’s position is one that would cause Inspector Javert to recoil and… simply illustrates just how easily the Guidelines can be manipulated to produce absurd results.”