Grammy-winning artist from famed hip-hop group jailed for 14 years for funneling millions to Obama

A Grammy-winning artist has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

Fugees rapper Pras Michel, 53, was found guilty of orchestrating an illegal foreign lobbying scheme on behalf of fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low.

Michel received over $120 million from Jho, some of which he directed to Obama’s campaign through donors.

Prosecutors said the rapper also tried to shut down the Justice Department’s investigation of Low, tampered with two witnesses and lied at trial.

In April 2023, a federal jury found Michel guilty. from 10 countsincluding conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.

The hearing in Washington also included the statements of actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Michel had publicly requested clemency from President Donald Trump, expressing hope that his case would be evaluated favorably.

“I hope he’ll keep an eye on me,” Michel told TMZ earlier this year, adding that he still has “love for any president” and is confident the process will prevail.

Michel, China’s key lobbyist in a stunning conspiracy that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Barack Obama and Donald Trump in the cast, was found guilty in a $100 million foreign extortion scheme; Picture taken arriving at his hearing in March 2023

He also drew parallels between his own legal fight and Trump’s conviction in the hush money case during the Biden administration, suggesting both were victims of an overzealous Justice Department.

The Hollywood Reporter had previously reported that Trump was considering a possible pardon, but the White House declined to comment and Michel’s team later confirmed only that ‘all available options’ were being explored.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly also ordered that Michel be sentenced to three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.

Justice Department prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines recommend a life sentence for Michel, who they said “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unrepentantly and relentlessly to carry out his plans.”

‘His sentence must reflect the breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks facing his country, and the magnitude of his greed,’ they wrote.

Defense lawyer Peter Zeidenberg said his client’s 14-year sentence was ‘completely disproportionate to the crime’. According to his lawyer, Michel will appeal his conviction and sentence.

‘Elliott Broidy was pardoned, George Higginbotham received 3 months probation and Nicki Lum Davis received 24 months in prison. “Not to mention that the DOJ has announced that it will no longer prosecute FARA except where espionage is involved — something that is not being alleged here,” Zeidenberg said.

‘There is no justification for this selection of Mr Michel other than the punishment of choosing to prosecute. ‘We will object.’

Michel obtained over $120 million from a Malaysian billionaire and funneled some of that money to Obama’s campaign through straw donors.

In recent months, Michel has publicly pleaded for clemency from former President Donald Trump, expressing hope that his case will be considered favorably; Trump photographed March 6

Zeidenberg recommended a three-year prison sentence. Michel’s lawyers said in a court filing that a life sentence would be an “absurdly high” sentence for Michel, as it was usually reserved for lethal terrorists and drug cartel leaders.

‘The government’s attitude is one that would cause Inspector Javert to back down, and it clearly shows how easily the Guidelines can be manipulated to produce absurd results, and how ill-equipped they are to determine a just and equitable sentence, at least in this case.’ they wrote.

Additionally, a spokesperson for Michel told The Daily Mail: ‘Pras has overcome obstacles throughout his career. This is not the end of his story. Appreciates the support as we approach the next chapter.’

In addition to the lengthy prison sentence, Michel was ordered to forfeit $64 million in connection with the sprawling influence operation that prosecutors say was aimed at pressuring U.S. authorities to drop investigations into Low, the alleged mastermind of the massive 1MDB embezzlement scandal.

Federal prosecutors argued that Michel deserved a harsh sentence and called his behavior a profound violation of national trust.

Accordingly billboardThey claimed that he ‘betrayed his country for money’, noting that similar financial crimes often result in prison sentences exceeding twenty years.

Michel’s legal team pushed back, asking for just 36 months, arguing that the government was treating him as if he were a violent cartel leader or terrorist.

The suspect is scheduled to surrender to authorities on January 27.

Michel is scheduled to surrender to authorities on January 27; Pictured in 2022

Low, who lives in China, was one of the primary financiers of the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street,” starring DiCaprio. Low is a fugitive but has maintained his innocence.

“Low’s motivation for giving Mr. Michel money to donate was not to achieve some political goal. Instead, Low simply wanted to take a photo with himself and then-President Obama,” Michel’s lawyers wrote.

In August 2024, the judge denied Michel’s request for a new trial, based in part on the defense attorney’s use of a generative artificial intelligence program in closing arguments for the trial.

The judges said this and other errors in judgment did not amount to a serious miscarriage of justice.

Michel has also voiced support for rapper Tory Lanez, falsely suggesting that a presidential pardon could free him, but Lanez’s conviction falls within California’s jurisdiction and any clemency would strictly fall within Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision.

Michel was ultimately determined to become a central figure in a bizarre global influence scheme involving Hollywood elites, international financiers and political moguls.

Prosecutors said he pocketed an estimated $88 million for his role in the scheme.

Michel rose to international fame in the 1990s as part of the Grammy-winning band the Fugees, alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean.

The trio became global icons with hits such as Killing Me Softly, Ready or Not and Fu-Gee-La before disbanding in 1998.

After years of sporadic reunions, Michel’s personal and legal troubles overshadowed his hopes for a comeback.