In a major development in a years-long legal saga, Pras Michél, a founding member of the Grammy-winning hip-hop group the Fugees, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison following his conviction on charges of conspiracy and illegal foreign lobbying.
Pras Michel sentenced
A federal judge handed down the sentence Thursday, more than a year after Michél was found guilty on 10 counts in April 2023. The charges included violations of campaign finance laws related to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and an illicit lobbying effort aimed at influencing the Trump administration in 2017. According to Billboard, Michél will also serve three years of probation after completing his prison term. He had faced a potential maximum of 22 years.
In a statement obtained by Variety, Michél’s representative Erica Dumas said the rapper remains resilient: “Throughout his career Pras has broken barriers. This is not the end of his story. He appreciates the outpouring of support as he approaches the next chapter.”
How it all went down
Michél’s legal troubles began in 2019, and his high-profile trial in 2023 stretched across three weeks, featuring testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio for the prosecution. Last month, Michél was ordered to forfeit more than $64 million after being found guilty of helping orchestrate a foreign influence scheme connected to Malaysian financier Jho Low, who was seeking to convince U.S. authorities to drop an investigation into him.
Following his conviction, Michél sought a retrial, claiming his former attorney David Kenner had used artificial intelligence to draft closing arguments. Kenner — widely known for representing Suge Knight —later pleaded guilty in early 2024 to misdemeanor criminal contempt for mishandling discovery materials in the case and was sentenced to one year of probation.
In a post-conviction interview with Variety, Michél vowed to challenge the verdict. “I’m going to fight, and I’m going to appeal, but there’s a possibility that I’m going in while I’m fighting,” he said. “It’s just the reality.”
Michél is expected to surrender to federal authorities on January 27.