Fugees rapper Pras Michel sentenced to 14 years in prison over illegal donations to Obama campaign [View all]

Source: AP

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Updated 4:46 PM CST, November 20, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison for a case in which he was convicted of illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

Michel, 52, declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him.

In April 2023, a federal jury convicted Michel of 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. The trial in Washington, D.C., included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Justice Department prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines recommended a life sentence for Michel, whom they said “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.”



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/prakazrel-pras-michel-rapper-fugees-sentencing-626135406baa3b045f1ac4fc5ec3ad42