Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel surrenders to authorities and begins a 14-year jail sentence for cash laundering and unlawful lobbying.
In keeping with a Rolling Stone report, revealed on Friday (Might 1), the 53-year-old rapper turned himself in on Thursday (April 30) to the Federal Correctional Establishment in Safford, Ariz., to serve his 14-year sentence following his April 2023 conviction on 10 federal costs, together with cash laundering, unlawful international lobbying, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., and witness tampering.
“Immediately is a painful day for Pras, for his household, and for everybody who believes in a good system of justice,” stated Pras’ spokesperson Erica Dumas stated in an announcement to Rolling Stone. “Pras honors the authorized course of as he reviews to start his sentence. The FARA (Overseas Brokers Registration Act)-related costs that led to his conviction are being vigorously contested on enchantment, and his authorized staff believes the file will present that his rights have been violated and the reality was obscured. This chapter is tough however it’s not his closing one.”
Pras was initially sentenced in Washington D.C. federal court docket on Nov. 21, 2025. He was presupposed to give up in March, however the decide pushed the give up date again 30 extra days. After serving his jail sentence, the Fugees member will likely be place on probation for 3 years. He was additionally ordered to forfeit $64 million that is allegedly linked to his crimes.
As beforehand reported, Pras was discovered responsible for his involvement in a multi-million greenback worldwide conspiracy, performing on behalf of billionaire financier Jho Low — who’s accused of embezzling billions from the 1MDB Malaysian improvement fund — to illegally foyer the U.S. authorities. The rap veteran was additionally implicated in an Obama marketing campaign fund scandal, the place he was charged with defrauding the U.S. authorities by facilitating “international and conduit marketing campaign contributions” for a then-president Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election bid. Prosecutors alleged that Pras pocketed tens of millions of {dollars} via these illicit schemes.
Earlier than starting his jail sentence, Pras attended Ye’s April 3 live performance in Los Angeles, the place he watched his fellow Fugees cohort Lauryn Hill be part of the Chicago rapper-producer for a efficiency of “All Falls Down” and different songs. By the way, in March, Pras dropped his lawsuit in opposition to Ms. Hill during which he alleged that she took benefit of his authorized woes to stress him right into a Fugees reunion tour.
Watch CBS Information: Former Fugees Member Pras Michel on Trial for Alleged Multimillion-Greenback Politics Conspiracy
