Grammy winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, a founding member of the Fugees, was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in federal prison after being convicted of funneling foreign money into former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Michel, 53, declined to speak before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar Kotelly issued the sentence.

The ruling follows Michel’s April 2023 conviction on ten federal charges, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The high profile trial in Washington, D.C., featured testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Prosecutors Sought a Far Harsher Penalty

Justice Department prosecutors argued that sentencing guidelines suggested a life sentence, describing Michel as someone who “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.” Prosecutors told the court, “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.”

According to the government, Michel played a central role in a plan to move more than one hundred million dollars from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, into the United States. Some of the money was funneled through straw donors to Obama’s campaign, while other funds were used to try to halt a federal investigation into Low.

Low is a fugitive abroad but has maintained his innocence. He previously financed major Hollywood productions, including “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Defense Calls Sentence Disproportionate

Michel’s attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, called the 14 year sentence “completely disproportionate to the offense.” The defense argued that the government had pushed an extreme interpretation of sentencing guidelines. In a filing, Michel’s lawyers wrote,

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, and how poorly equipped they are, at least on this occasion, to determine a fair and just sentence.

Michel’s team had urged the judge to impose a three year prison term, describing a life sentence as an “absurdly high” punishment usually reserved for violent criminals, terrorists, and cartel leaders. Michel plans to appeal both his conviction and the sentence.

Defense Says Key Motivation Was Celebrity Access

In describing Michel’s dealings with Low, his attorneys said the Malaysian businessman’s primary goal was proximity to the Obama White House rather than political influence. They wrote, “Low’s motivation for giving Mr. Michel money to donate was not so that he could achieve some policy objective. Instead, Low simply wanted to obtain a photograph with himself and then President Obama.”

The government, however, said Michel’s role went far beyond serving as an intermediary for an ill conceived photo opportunity. They accused him of obstructing the investigation into Low, tampering with witnesses, and committing perjury during his trial.

Background of the Case

Michel, who grew up in Brooklyn and whose parents immigrated from Haiti, rose to global fame as a member of the Fugees alongside Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The group sold tens of millions of records and won multiple Grammy Awards, but Michel has faced a series of legal and financial troubles in recent years.

In August 2024, Judge Kollar Kotelly denied Michel’s request for a new trial. His argument included a claim that his attorney had used a generative AI program to help prepare closing arguments. The judge ruled that those and other alleged errors did not amount to a “serious miscarriage of justice.”

Michel’s sentencing marks one of the most severe penalties ever handed down for foreign election interference involving campaign donations. The case is expected to continue in the courts as Michel appeals the verdict.

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