Washington, D.C. federal judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has handed out a 14-year prison sentence to Fugees member Pras Michél on charges of conspiracy and illegal foreign lobbying.
The judge ordered on Thursday (November 20) that Pras will serve 14 years out of a maximum 22, followed by three years of probation. The rapper was ordered to forefeit nearly $65 million to the U.S. government last week after he was found guilty of orchestrating a foreign influence campaign to coax the United States into dropping an investigation into Malaysian financier Jho Low.
Michél was convicted in April 2023 on 10 counts, including violating campaign finance laws during President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection bid and illegally lobbying President Donald Trump's administration in 2017.
"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," Michél's rep Erica Dumas told Variety in a statement.
Michél, who was initially charged in 2019, went to trial four years later, and the trial included testimony from Leonardo DiCaprio on behalf of the prosecution.
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