Pras Michel has been sentenced to 14 years in jail for foreign influence convictions.
The Fugees rapper was sentenced on Thursday following his conviction on illegal foreign lobbying and conspiracy charges.
Michel, who rose to fame alongside his bandmates Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, was found guilty in 2023 on accusations that he orchestrated a “foreign influence campaign” to get the US to drop an investigation into fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low.
He had already been ordered last month to forfeit $64 million (£45 million) that was allegedly linked to the scheme.
Michel’s spokeswoman Erica Dumas told Billboard: “Pras has spent his career breaking barriers and defying expectations. While today marks a difficult moment, it is not the end of his story or his legacy. He is profoundly grateful for the continued support of those who believe in him as he prepares for what lies ahead.”
In 2019, Michel was hit with charges that he funnelled money from Low, the mastermind of a billion-dollar embezzlement scheme, to a lobbying campaign aimed at getting the first Trump administration to drop its investigation into the disgraced financier.
He was also accused of secretly funnelling Low’s money to Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign, and of later trying to influence an extradition case on behalf of China.
In April 2023, following a trial that included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Michel was convicted on 10 counts.
The Fugees rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like Killing Me Softly and Fu-Gee-La. After splitting up in 1998, Hill, Jean and Michel each had successful solo careers.
