Grammy-winning artist Pras Michel was sentenced [1] to 14 years in prison after being convicted of funneling foreign money into Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and participating in a broader influence operation linked to Malaysian financier Jho Low.
Michel, 53, was found guilty of organizing the scheme and channeling millions of dollars from Low through straw donors to support the campaign.
Federal prosecutors said Michel obtained more than $120 million from Low and directed a portion of those funds into political contributions.
Prosecutors also said Michel attempted to stop a Justice Department investigation into Low, tampered with two witnesses, and committed perjury during his trial.
BREAKING NEWS: Grammy-winning Fugees rapper PrasMichel was sentenced to 14 years in prison for illegally funnelling foreign money into Former President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.
Prosecutors say he took over $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Jho Low, used straw… pic.twitter.com/ANl0lSJubH [2]
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) November 21, 2025 [3]
In April 2023, a federal jury convicted Michel on 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
The trial in Washington included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Michel had publicly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency.
He told TMZ, “I hope he turn an eye on me,” adding that he had “love for any president” and expressed trust in the process.
Michel also compared his legal situation to Trump’s conviction in a hush money case during the Biden-Harris administration.
The Hollywood Reporter previously stated that Trump was considering a possible pardon, though the White House declined to comment.
Michel’s representatives later said only that “all available options” were being explored.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued the sentence and ordered Michel to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Prosecutors argued that sentencing guidelines recommended a life sentence, describing Michel as someone who “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.”
They wrote, “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.”
Defense attorney Peter Zeidenberg called the 14-year sentence “completely disproportionate to the offense” and confirmed that Michel will appeal.
Zeidenberg noted that other figures connected to similar matters received lighter penalties.
“Elliott Broidy was pardoned, George Higginbotham got 3 months’ probation, and Nicki Lum Davis received 24 months. Not to mention that DOJ has announced that FARA will no longer be prosecuted except where there is espionage involved – something not alleged here,” he said.
“There simply is no justification for Mr. Michel being singled out like this except for the penalty for opting for trial. We will appeal.”
Michel’s attorneys wrote in a separate filing that a life sentence would be an “absurdly high” punishment, arguing that such penalties are typically reserved for violent criminals.
They added, “The Government´s position is one that would cause Inspector Javert to recoil and, if anything, simply illustrates just how easily the Guidelines can be manipulated to produce absurd results.”
A spokesperson for Michel told the Daily Mail, “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.”
Michel has also been ordered to forfeit $64 million connected to the scheme.
Prosecutors said the broader influence operation sought to pressure U.S. officials to drop investigations into Low, who remains a fugitive.
Billboard reported that prosecutors said Michel “betrayed his country for money,” noting that comparable offenses often result in sentences of more than two decades.
Michel is scheduled to surrender on January 27.
Low, who has lived in China, helped finance the film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Michel’s attorneys wrote that Low’s motivation for providing funds was to obtain a photograph with then-President Obama.
In August 2024, a judge denied Michel’s request for a new trial, which partly argued that his previous attorney improperly used a generative AI program during closing arguments.
The court ruled those issues did not constitute a miscarriage of justice.
Michel also publicly supported rapper Tory Lanez, incorrectly suggesting a presidential pardon could affect the case, though Lanez’s conviction is under California’s jurisdiction.
Prosecutors said Michel received an estimated $88 million for his role in the scheme.
Michel rose to prominence in the 1990s as part of the Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, known for hits including “Killing Me Softly,” “Ready or Not,” and “Fu-Gee-La.”
The group disbanded in 1998, and Michel’s later attempts at reunions were overtaken by the legal case that now defines his public profile.